On Wednesday, the European Aviation Safety Agency published new safety rules that aim to better support the mental fitness of air crew. The new rules mandate that all pilots working for European airlines will have access to support programs to help them recognize, cope with and overcome problems that might degrade their ability to safely do their jobs, EASA said in a news release. The new rules also mandate alcohol testing of pilots and cabin crew for all airlines that operate in the European Union. Pilots for European airlines also are now required to complete a psychological assessment before the start of employment.
The new rules were proposed in response to the crash of Germanwings Flight 952 in March 2015. Investigators determined the first officer, Andreas Lubitz, locked his captain out of the cockpit and deliberately flew the Airbus A320 into a mountainside, killing all 150 people on board. “With these rules Europe introduces the right tools to safeguard the mental fitness of air crew,” said EASA executive director Patrick Ky. The rules will be implemented over a two-year transition period.
