FAA To Form Panel On Airline Medical Screenings

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The FAA is forming a working group to examine the medical certification of pilots and other airline workers in reaction to the Germanwings pilot who crashed an A320 in the Alps to commit suicide, killing all aboard. According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, the panel will include U.S. and international representatives of the air carrier industry, aviation regulators and doctors. The group’s task will be to draft recommendations by the end of the year, potentially to propose changes in mental health screening and medical standards for pilots, mechanics, flight attendants and safety inspectors, Bloomberg reported.

The Air Line Pilots Association and American Airlines are among the entities that have so far agreed to take part in the group, Bloomberg reported. “We support this,” Tim Canoll, president of the union, said. “When it comes out, we’ll have a much better understanding of whether we need to make changes.” The Germanwings crash in March, which killed all 150 passengers and crew, prompted airlines around the world to examine policies such as mental health screening for pilots and requiring more than one crewmember in the cockpit at all times. The investigation of the crash revealed that the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, hid his severe depression from the airline and had planned to fly the Airbus into the mountains after locking the captain out of the cockpit.

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