Days after a Germanwings co-pilot deliberately crashed a plane over the French Alps, Transport Minister Lisa Raitt is assuring Canadians that there is a “robust” system in place to ensure Canadian pilots are in top mental shape.
Raitt told CTV's Question Period that in addition to rigorous drug and alcohol testing, Canadian pilots are required to undergo annual medical examinations to ensure they have strong enough physical and mental health to fly passenger jets.
"In those examinations, that's where these (Transport Canada) doctors look for psychological triggers or they ask about stress or they try to find if there's anything with respect to mental-health issues that the pilot is experiencing," said Raitt.
Raitt said Transport Canada doctors are experienced with the pilot demographic and know how to look for triggers that could affect a pilot’s work. She said there is a system in place for private doctors to raise concerns about pilot patients as well.
"If a family physician is aware of a mental-health issue of a pilot, they have an obligation to report that to Transport Canada. Transport Canada then conveys the appropriate information to the airline and what they try to deal with there is making sure they have the right balance of privacy, with respect to letting the airline company know what's going on," said Raitt.
Beyond the efforts of doctors and Transport Canada, the pilots' unions and airliners try to keep an eye out for anyone suffering from mental illness, said Raitt, respecting pilots’ privacy along the way.
Last Thursday, Raitt announced an order requiring Canadian airliners to have at least two crew members in the cockpit during flights, reflecting the U.S. rules.
The announcement was made two days after the Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed in the French Alps, killing all 150 people onboard. The co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, locked the captain out of the cockpit and deliberately brought the plane down.
While prosecutors haven't specified what illness Lubitz may have been suffering from, the crash has raised many questions about the mental health of pilots and cockpit requirements.
For instance, Raitt admitted that, prior to Tuesday's crash, she didn't know there wasn't already a rule in Canada requiring at least two crew members in the cockpit at all times.
"I think that was the realization of a lot of Canadians, too. That was the first question I asked the morning after I heard reports of what happened so tragically in France."
Raitt said while Transport Canada officials have been told to look for any more gaps, Canadians should not hesitate to fly.
"They shouldn't be afraid to fly. We have a very robust system and our pilots are world-class," said Raitt.
With files from the Associated Press
