The UAE Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said on 9 October that the Public Prosecution's investigation found that the Omani co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 had begun carrying out what he called a "premeditated terrorist plot" for a "suicide attack" on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv12. The 29-year-old suspect confessed in the presence of his lawyer and said he acted alone, a claim prosecutors are still verifying12. On 30 September the captain, Smit Machchhar, was attacked in the cockpit by the co-pilot, according to the UAE, on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv; flydubai pilots travelling on board for the return flight landed the aircraft at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia12. Flydubai has suspended its Tel Aviv flights "until further notice" at the request of the authorities11.

For pilots and applicants, one finding in the statement stands out. Investigators examined how flydubai recruited the co-pilot and found that he had met the professional and security requirements for employment, "including holding a pilot's licence, providing a certificate of good conduct and completing the required checks"1. According to the Attorney General, none of those procedures revealed any indication of what he intended12. European airline chiefs have since acknowledged that it is hard to guard against a rogue pilot, which raises the question of what screening can realistically detect3.

Two different kinds of screening

Pilot screening covers two separate systems. The first is medical certification, which assesses whether a licence holder is fit to fly. The second is security vetting, such as police and background checks for airside passes, which CNN reported vary by country: "There is no international standard for background checks," the network wrote, adding that experts said licences and security passes are handled at national level9. The UAE statement treats FZ1073 as a criminal investigation and does not refer to the co-pilot's medical fitness1.

Airline leaders have acknowledged the limits of both. "We have to face the fact that there is no absolute safety and security in this industry," Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told reporters on 8 October, adding that mental health screening of pilots was already robust, Reuters reported3. In Israel, Channel 12 reported that security screenings of foreign pilots had not been increased 11 days after the attack; an email from the head of the National Passenger Assessment Center said screening incoming foreign crew 48 hours before take-off was currently not possible, because airlines only supply crew data after the aircraft doors close10.

What EASA's Part-MED requires

In Europe, the medical side was tightened after Germanwings. Regulation (EU) 2019/27 acted on four recommendations of the Germanwings Task Force, including recommendation 2, "Mental health assessment of flight crew"4. It introduced MED.B.055, which states: "Comprehensive mental health assessment shall form part of the initial class 1 aero-medical examination"4. The same rule makes drugs and alcohol screening part of the initial class 1 examination4.

Guidance published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, whose retained aircrew rules contain the same MED.B.055 text12, shows what such an assessment covers. Under the UK acceptable means of compliance (AMC1 MED.B.055), the initial assessment should be "conducted and recorded taking into account social, environmental and cultural contexts" and should include general attitudes to mental health, coping strategies under past stress, interpersonal and relationship issues, current work and life stressors and overt personality disorders5. At revalidation or renewal, the examiner reviews current stressors, coping strategies and any difficulties with crew resource management or with employers and colleagues5. Where there are signs of a psychiatric or psychological disorder, the applicant should be referred for a specialist opinion5.

Peer support and the Germanwings package

A second set of rules applies to airlines. Regulation (EU) 2018/1042 amended the Air Operations Regulation to introduce support programmes, psychological assessment of flight crew before commencing line flying, and testing for psychoactive substances6. EASA says these rules were implemented in February 2021 and include CAT.GEN.MPA.215 "Support programme"; it notes that support programmes are also known as peer support7.

A working paper presented by Australia and Canada to the 42nd ICAO Assembly describes these programmes as intended "to help pilots voluntarily seek assistance for mental health or other personal issues without fear of stigma or punitive consequences"8. It notes that uptake around the world has been variable, partly because ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices do not require such programmes8. EASA's first evaluation of its rules found it was "too early to draw any conclusions about the overall effectiveness" and reported that crew responses raised concerns about the protection of personal data and privacy7.

What this means for pilots and applicants

For anyone applying for a first class 1 medical certificate under EASA rules, a comprehensive mental health assessment and drugs and alcohol screening are part of the initial examination4. For pilots joining a European commercial air transport operator, the rules provide for a psychological assessment before line flying and a support programme for flight crew67. These are medical and wellbeing measures. Security vetting, such as the certificate of good conduct the UAE mentioned in the FZ1073 recruitment, is a separate track, and CNN reported that it is governed by national rules19. ICAO told CNN that its standards are "under continuous review by ICAO and are enhanced as ICAO identifies emerging priorities and new best practices"9.

What is not yet known

The UAE Public Prosecution is still examining the evidence and the possible involvement of others, and says further findings will be announced as the investigation allows1. Israel's Transport Ministry is expected to present the results of its review of expanded pilot security checks10.

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