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European Union to Improve Commercial Pilots' Mental Health Testing
Alyssa Cerchiai
Contributor
July 25, 2018
•
2 min read
European Union to Improve Commercial Pilots' Mental Health Testing
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The European Union has passed new regulations focused on improving the mental health testing of commercial airline pilots. The new legislation follows the intentional and fatal Germanwings crash by the flights' co-pilot back in 2015.
The new psychological testing will begin in the EU in 2020, according to the EU's executive Commission. Before pilots begin flying, they will have to undergo the mental health assessment, as well as "systematic tests on pilots and cabin crew for psychoactive substances before they're hired, and unannounced testing after they recover from any illness and return to work," The Associated Press reports.
The new mental health precautions follow Germanwings Flight 4U9525, which turned deadly in March 2015 after the flight's co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit and intentionally crashed the aircraft into the French Alps. All 144 passengers and six crew members aboard the Airbus A320 were tragically killed upon the impact on the rough mountainside.
The co-pilot who crashed the plane, Andreas Lubitz, had allegedly suffered from depression for years preceding the incident, but Germanwings, a Lufthansa subsidiary, wasn't aware of his mental state and deemed him able to fly. The new psychological evaluations of pilots, including testing after a bout of illness, come in hopes of preventing a similar tragedy.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
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Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.