Random checks of pilots' psychological fitness could help reduce risks in the aviation sector, Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said in his first newspaper interview since the crash of a Germanwings plane in March.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Friday cited Spohr as saying surprise checks were a possible way to reduce uncertainty over whether pilots suffer from any mental health issues.
Voice and data recordings from the Germanwings flight on March 24 show co-pilot Andreas Lubitz locked the captain out of the cockpit and set the plane on course to crash into the French Alps, killing all 150 on board.
Under German law, employers do not have access to employees' medical records and sick notes excusing a person from work do not give information on their medical condition.
Spohr said one element of these considerations should also be whether aviation doctors should be allowed to breach doctor-patient confidentiality in exceptional cases, according to FAZ.
Category(s):Workplace Issues
Source material from Reuters
