New Delhi: The recent flydubai incident has been an eye-opener for many. It shows the resilience and strength of pilots and flight crews, but it also highlights many safety and security concerns when flying. One of these is mental health.
While the motive behind the unnamed co-pilot’s attack is not yet clear, concerns exist about his mental well-being; whether he was of sound mind or not. Flying is risky business, and the well-being of pilots is often the number one priority.
Pilots must undergo routine medical checkups, including assessments of their physical and mental well-being, ranging from every six months to every few years. Pilots are further required to disclose any physical and psychological conditions, as well as visits to health professionals.
According to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, a Class 1 medical certificate is the fitness standard for airline-level flying. Under GACA regulations, a certified medical history or clinical diagnosis of psychosis or active mental health conditions that impair safe judgment or coordination are grounds for medical certification denial.
In the United States, pilots undergo routine medical evaluations with a certified aviation medical examiner, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. In India and the United Kingdom, aviation authorities evaluate general coping strategies, work and life stressors, and behavioural histories during physical/mental check-ins.
However, an International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations paper stated that “extensive psychological or psychiatric evaluations, or the routine use of screening questionnaires during pilot aeromedical assessments, are neither productive nor cost effective.” The organisation said that these methods may create a false sense of safety.
“Psychological or psychiatric assessments should be conducted by an unbiased, accredited mental health professional, ideally familiar with the aviation environment. The professional should be selected in collaboration with the pilot from an agreed-upon pool of experts. A second evaluation should only be conducted if the pilot disagrees with the initial assessment,” it recommended.
The IFALPA further added that pilots can receive therapy while on a regular schedule.
“The ultimate goal is to encourage pilots to adopt a healthier lifestyle, improving their chances of maintaining good mental health throughout their careers,” it said.
Recently, the US Senate approved bipartisan legislation to modernise mental health guidance for pilots and air traffic controllers.
Mental health issues are often stigmatised in the aviation industry, and many pilots often hide their struggles. Pilots also face strict rules around medication and can be grounded for three months if they change medications for mental health issues.
A separate bill in the US also requires the FAA to “issue accessible, user-friendly guidance on approved medications to ensure that pilots and controllers don’t unknowingly take medications that could risk their careers.”
Concern for a pilot’s mental well-being has increased over the years after numerous near crashes or fatalities. In 2015, first officer Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed a Germanwings jet travelling from Barcelona to Düsseldorf, killing all 150 people on board. Lubitz had struggled with depression and suffered from sleeplessness.
More recently, in 2023, an off-duty Alaska Air pilot tried to cut the engines of a Horizon Air jet travelling to San Francisco. He was thwarted by the pilots and crew members. The pilot later told police personnel that he was suffering from depression after a friend’s death, adding that he had taken psychedelics after being unable to sleep for days.