Cost control on the Boeing 787

Cost control on the Boeing 787 programme showed some improvement on a unit basis in the first quarter, but the company remains far from break-even.

If deferred production, unamortised tooling and other costs are factored in, Boeing lost an average of $30 million on each of the 30 787s delivered in the first quarter.

That represented an 11% decline from a $34 million unit loss on each of the 35 787s delivered in the fourth quarter of last year.

Boeing still plans to reach break-even on a unit basis by the end of this year on the 787 programme.

“The programme continues to make improvements on unit costs,” Greg Smith, Boeing’s executive vice-president and chief financial officer, said in a first quarter earnings call with analysts on 22 April. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’re making a lot of progess.”

The unit accounting losses on each 787 do not show up directly on Boeing’s quarterly balance sheet.

Instead, Boeing’s programme accounting method defines a block 1,300 aircraft expected to be delivered and builds in a predetermined cost and operating margin for each aircraft delivered within the block.

Actual losses on each aircraft delivered so far are added to the programme’s deferred production cost. Boeing also has a separate line item for unamortised tooling and other costs.

The combined deferred production and amortised tooling costs rose by $905 million in the first quarter to exceed $30 billion.

Although overall costs are still rising, the first quarter represented the first three-month period that the figure was held under $1 billion since Boeing started delivery 787s in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The unit cost improvement in the first quarter could have been greater if not for supply chain problems. Zodiac Aerospace has fallen behind on deliveries of premium cabin seating. GE Aviation also discovered a quality problem with a component that delayed shipments of 29 GEnx engines. Both issues are expected to be resolved in the second quarter.

“We do have a high confidence in the plan to resolve” the Zodiac seat issues, says Boeing chief executive and chairman James McNerney. “”It’s not going to disrupt our production plans.”

A400M crashes on take-off from Seville airport

An Airbus A400M airlifter crashed shortly after take-off on 9 May from the San Pablo Airport inSeville, Spain, according to reports.

Airport officials tweeted that the airport was closed as firefighters attended to an accident beyond the facility’s enclosure. Spain’s prime minister also reportedly confirmed that an A400M crashed, killing a crew of eight to 10 people on board.

Pictures of the accident scene on social media located the wreck about 1nm (1.9km) north of the airport near a Coca Cola facility.

That would place the crash site on a direct bearing with diagonal runway at San Pablo airport, but it is not known which runway was used by the A400M for take-off.

The crash marks the first fatal incident involving the A400M in the programme’s 5.5-year flight history.

It comes as Airbus has recently restructured the programme following a series of production delays. In January, Airbus replaced the head of the military division that produces the airlifter with Fernando Alonso, formerly head of flight test operations. One month later, Airbus announced taking a €551 million ($620 million) fourth quarter charge due to the production problems.

American inaugurates 787 in latest step of fleet renewal

American Airlines introduced its first Boeing 787-8 between its Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago O’Hare hubs today, the latest in a string of new aircraft types at the US mainline carrier.

Flight AA2320, the Fort Worth, Texas-based Oneworld Alliance carrier’s first revenue Dreamlinerflight, departed Dallas/Fort Worth International airport at 07:31 local time bound for Chicago O’Hare International airport with a water cannon send off.

The 787 operating the first flight (registration N801AC and MSN 40619) is one of five that American has taken delivery of since January. It was delivered in February.

“This is really is just another testament to what American is becoming,” says Fern Fernandez, vice-president of global marketing at American, ahead of departure at the gate in Dallas. “The 787 represents the transformation that’s happening at American…the fact that we have the youngest fleet in the industry right now and we’re taking two new airplanes a week this year.”

The airline anticipates having 13 787-8s in its fleet by the end of 2015, many of which will replace older Boeing 767-200ERs and 767-300ERs that are being retired. It plans to remove 13 767s this year.

“American is now the first carrier to take delivery of all of Boeing’s jets that have ever been built, from the 707 all the way to the 787,” says Al Smolinski, sales director for the Americas at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, at the event.

The 787 introduction is the latest in a string of new aircraft types for American. The carrier’s legacy operation, including regional, has introduced the Bombardier CRJ900 in August 2014, the AirbusA321 in January 2014, the Airbus A319 in September 2013, the Embraer 175 in August 2013 and the Boeing 777-300ER in January 2013.

“It’s a phenomenal fleet renewal programme,” says Fernandez.

American will add 787 international service in June. The aircraft will replace a Boeing 777-200 on flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Beijing on 2 June, to Buenos Aires on 4 June and to ShanghaiPudong on 26 June.

The 787 will take over the carrier’s flights between Chicago O’Hare and Tokyo Narita on 19 August.

“It’s just a perfect airplane for the type of rotation that we do here in Dallas between Asia and South America,” says Fernandez.

American has outfitted its 787s with 226 seats, including 28 lie-flat business class seats, 57 extra legroom economy seats and 141 economy seats. This compares to the 260 seats on its 777-200s and 209 seats on its 767-300ERs.

American is the second US carrier after United Airlines and fourth in North America after Aeromexicoand Air Canada to operate the 787.

The airline has firm orders for 16 more 787-8s and 21 787-9s with deliveries through 2018, the Ascend Fleets database shows. It has options for another 58 aircraft.

The atmosphere was jovial on the inaugural flight to Chicago, as the majority of passengers were onboard primarily to experience the aircraft, rather than to get to the Windy City. Passengers milled about during the flight, checking out the premium cabin and new features on the Dreamliner.

AA2320 arrived 4min early at 09:23 local time in Chicago.

FAA orders new 787 electrical fix to prevent power failure

All Boeing 787 operators will be required to periodically deactivate the electrical system to avoid a problem with a newly-discovered software bug that could cause the aircraft to lose alternating current (AC) power, the US Federal Aviation Administration says in a new airworthiness directive.

The agency adopted the final rule after Boeing reported the results of a laboratory test showing a total loss of power is possible if the generator control units run continuously for eight months, says the FAA’s 30 April notice in the Federal Register.

The binding airworthiness directive is being published less than two weeks after Boeing privately alerted operators about the problem, the company says in a statement to Flightglobal.

It is rare for a commercial aircraft to remain powered on for eight months with no interruptions.

So far, no 787 operator has experienced the software problem that causes four onboard generators to stop working at the same time, Boeing says.

Boeing is working on a software update to fix the problem that should be ready in the fourth quarter, the company says.

The 787 relies on electric power more than previous commercial aircraft. In addition to powering onboard avionics, the 787’s electrical generators also are used to pressurise the aircraft cabin and de-ice the leading edge of the wing.

Two 250kVA generators are installed on each of the 787’s pair of turbofan engines. Another two back-up generators each rated at 225kVA are connected to the auxiliary power unit. If all six generators fail at the same time, a lithium-ion main battery keeps power running to the flightdeck systems for about 6s until a ram air turbine can deploy and begin generating enough power to help the pilots navigate while attempting to restart the engines or glide to an unpowered – or “dead-stick” – landing.

All six power generating systems are managed by a corresponding generator control unit (GCU). Boeing’s laboratory testing discovered that an internal software counter in the GCU overflows after running continuously for 248 days, according to the FAA. The overflow causes all four GCUs on the engine-mounted generators to enter failsafe mode at the same time.

The software overflow problem is the latest in a string of reliability bugs to surface in the 787’s electrical system. The FAA grounded the 787 fleet for four months in 2013 after two batteries overheated, leading to a redesign of the battery system installation. Last June, the FAA approved an exemption to allow the 787-9 to enter service on schedule despite a substandard reliability record on the GCU for the RAT. The agency approved the exemption because it was deemed extremely improbable that all six power generators on board could fail at the same time.

A redesigned RAT was cut into the 787-9 production line on schedule in February and Boeing is continuing to retrofit previously delivered aircraft, a company spokesman says.

OBITUARY: Maurice Flanagan, the expat who helped Emirates take over the world

Maurice Flanagan, who has died aged 86, caught the Dubai bug when he arrived on a two-year secondment to run the city’s airport and travel operator Dnata in the late-1970s. “Everything looked so promising that I decided to stay,” he recalled two decades later. By taking up the royal family’s invitation in 1985 to launch an upstart state-owned airline called Emirates, the expat Englishman helped change the shape of aviation and ensured his place in the industry’s history.

He retired from the Emirates Group in 2013, as executive vice-chairman, after 35 years of helping to take the carrier from two rented aircraft to one of the biggest widebody fleets in the world. Although he stepped back from an active role in the business in his late 70s, he was still very much a face of the brand, defending Emirates in an interview with Airline Business in 2005 from accusations of unfair subsidies (back then, not from the Americans, but the airline’s now-partner Qantas).

A former Royal Air Force officer, Flanagan was already an industry veteran when he came to Dubai, having worked in the UK and abroad for British Airways predecessor BOAC. At that time, the Al Maktoums were busy trying to turn Dubai from a dusty trading port into a thriving metropolis of tourism and commerce by opening the economy with free trade deals and an open door to workers from all over the world– attracting tens thousands of waiters, construction workers and taxi drivers as well as seasoned professionals like Flanagan.

Air links were crucial to the strategy to create a global hub, and the government first tempted Gulf Air– then partly-owned by Dubai’s richer neighbour Abu Dhabi – to begin services during the 1970s. The city’s tiny airport was expanded as passenger numbers soared to two million in 1978. However, Gulf Air’s decision to cut its Dubai services in the mid-1980s, persuaded the Al Maktoums to launch their own airline with two aircraft, a leased Boeing 737-300 and an Airbus A310, and $10 million working capital. With Gulf Air dominant in the region, it was an incredibly audacious move.

With one or two blips, the first decade went swimmingly, with the airline averaging a 30% increase in passengers each year. When that began to settle down to around 12%, there were jokes that the recession had begun, Flanagan recalled. One of the boldest moves the Al Maktoums made was to allow all foreign carriers unfettered access to the airport. The open skies policy meant Flanagan and his team had to be extra sharp to compete, but it contributed to the emergence of Dubai as a crossroads of the world.

As the airline became more successful, increasingly adding services to Europe and North America from the turn of the century, Flanagan spent much of his time in interviews explaining the phenomenon that was Emirates and its relationship with the wider statelet. Although the carrier enjoyed the support of the royal family and contributed as well as benefited from the growth of Dubai, it was consistently profitable and contributed rather than took funds from the state.

“The only advantage we have is that we established an airline on a greenfield site. We are not lumbered by baggage,” he said in 2005. Attacks from rival airlines he attributed, quite simply, to “jealousy”. By the time Flanagan took a back-seat role as executive vice-chairman in 2006, Emirates had become one of the biggest brands in aviation and the largest customer for the Airbus A380, with 90 of the superjumbos on order.

Flanagan, who was born in 1928 in Leigh Lancashire, and had a degree in history and French fromLiverpool University, died of natural causes at his home in London. The man he launched Emirates with, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Emirates Group, said in a statement:“Maurice was a man of great character, and a legend in the aviation industry.”

An-178 transport makes 1h debut flight

Antonov on 7 May conducted a first flight with its An-178 transport, just three weeks after it staged a roll-out ceremony for the type in Kiev.

Two test pilots and one flight test engineer were aboard the twinjet for its 1h debut, says Antonov. The aircraft carries the registration UR-EXP.

"The crew reported on a successful flight task realisation," the company adds in a brief statement about the milestone event.

A further development of the An-148 regional airliner, the An-178 is intended to perform transport tasks for civilian and military customers. With a rear ramp, it is expected to be capable of carrying up to 18t of cargo.

Antonov confirms 10 transports as being on order from launch customer Silkway Airlines, "as well as a protocol of intent" with the Chinese company Beijing A-Star Airspace and Technology. The Chinese partners have expressed their intention to purchase two An-178s, and to also consider the prospect of Ukrainian construction of a "transporter in China", says the airframer.

The An-178 is designed to replace aged transports including the An-12, An-26 and An-32. Antonov estimates that the need for aircraft in the new type's segment totals 200 units by 2032 is 200.

French air traffic controllers were unaware of highly-unusual altitude selections

French air traffic controllers were unaware of highly-unusual altitude selections being made on the ill-fated Germanwings Airbus A320 during its prior flight to Barcelona.

Investigators recently disclosed that, during its initial descent towards Barcelona, the altitude selector was dialled to extreme settings – including 100ft and 49,000ft – during a short period when the captain was out of the cockpit.

At the time the aircraft was some 40nm north of Perpignan, heading south towards the eastern Pyrenees mountain range.

It had been cleared to leave its cruise altitude of 37,000ft and French investigation authority BEA says the first officer initially correctly selected 35,000ft and activated the descent by pulling the altitude-selector knob.

This engaged the ‘open descent’ mode which remained active when he subsequently selected an altitude of just 100ft.

Later in the descent there were periods when the mode switched to ‘vertical speed’, the investigating authority tells Flightglobal. But it adds: “The aircraft’s actual descent path was normal.”

The altitude selections changed several times during the captain’s absence, being set as high as 49,000ft before being dialled to the cleared level of 21,000ft and then set to 100ft again for almost the entirety of a 2min period.

It was eventually reset to 25,000ft just before the captain re-entered the cockpit. At this point theA320 was descending through an altitude of about 27,000ft.

Selected altitude is one of the parameters chosen for downlink to air traffic control under Eurocontrol’s enhanced-surveillance concept using Mode-S radar, and is intended to give controllers greater clarity on aircraft intent.

But controllers at the Bordeaux en route centre, which was handling the Germanwings flight, had no knowledge of the activity in the cockpit.

All French civil radars are compliant with Mode-S but BEA says that no Mode-S information is shown yet on French controllers’ stations.

“The changes of selected altitude [on the Germanwings aircraft] were therefore not displayed to the controller in Bordeaux,” it adds.

Display of Mode-S information will be implemented as part of the 4-Flight programme undertaken by French air traffic authority Direction des Services de la Navigation Aerienne.

BEA says the Germanwings aircraft landed uneventfully in Barcelona a little over 30min after the captain returned to the cockpit. During the subsequent flight back to Dusseldorf, it states, the first officer "intentionally" adjusted the altitude selector to 100ft while the captain was out of the cockpit, allowing the A320 to enter a descent and eventually strike terrain with the loss of all 150 occupants.

Aeromobil Flying Car Crashed, Pilot OK

During a test flight on Friday, Aeromobil's flying-car prototype crashed, after the pilot, designer Stefan Klein, pulled the parachute. Klein suffered no injuries, according to Aeromobil's statement, and the airplane was "only partially damaged." News photos show the aircraft apparently mostly intact, with some damage to the fuselage. 

"Experience and data from the test flight will be evaluated and implemented in further development of the flying car," the company said. According to news reports, Klein, 54, was taken to a hospital for examination after complaining of back pain, but was later released. The company has been flight-testing the aircraft since last October.

No other details about the flight test or the condition of the airplane have been made available.

Airbus forecasts Australia South Pacific fleet to double by 2033

The passenger aircraft fleet serving the Australia South Pacific region will grow from some 700 aircraft today to over 1,200 by 2033, with a doubling in the number of widebody aircraft. With aviation growth comparable with other mature markets such as North America and Europe, the region has the world’s highest propensity to travel per capita.

Airbus’ Global Market Forecast (GMF) shows international traffic serving the Australia South Pacific region will grow annually at 4.5%. Traffic to and from neighbouring developing markets will grow even quicker with traffic to Asia growing at 5.1%, Latin America 6.2%, Africa 6.3% and the Middle East 5.4%, which are all well above the world average (4.7%)

While the fleet serving the region will increase by 70%, widebody aircraft will more than double from some 290 today to over 640 by 2033. In 20 years, the passenger fleet serving the region will increase by nearly 500 aircraft (146 single aisles like the A320 and A320neo and 353 wide-bodies from 250 to over 500 seats such as the A330, A330neo, A350 XWB and the A380). The region’s propensity to travel (over three trips per capita) is almost double that of North America and it will remain the world’s highest at over four trips per capita by 2033. Domestically, traffic to and from Australia’s busiest airports, (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth) is set to double with an additional ~90 million passengers a year by 2033.

Today, some 70% of international traffic is within the wider Asia Pacific region including China (PRC) and this is set to grow as it becomes home to 40% of the world’s GDP by 2033. The PRC is Australia’s single biggest export market and increased air links will fuel business and tourism between the two. Today, Chinese travellers indicate Australia among their top destinations. Forecasts for Australian inbound tourism generally suggest nearly 10 million visitors a year by 2022. Today, 99.7% of these tourists arrive by air, and in the future will increasingly arrive on aircraft like the A330neo and for denser routes the A350 XWB and A380.

By 2033, the number of aviation mega-cities globally will double to 91. Today’s mega cities of Sydney and Melbourne will be joined by Perth, Brisbane and Auckland by 2033. These 91 centres of wealth will account for 35% of global GDP and will be served by high capacity aircraft like the A380, with some 95% of all long haul traffic travelling to from or through them.

Air transportation makes it possible to travel the region’s vast distances and helps connectivity at a global and country level providing economic benefits. In the last 10 years, Australia’s domestic traffic increased by nearly 90% for example, with a positive trend forecast to continue.

Globally, in the next 20 years (2014-2033), according to Airbus’ Global Market Forecast, passenger traffic will grow annually at 4.7% driving a need for around 31,400 new passenger and freighter aircraft (100 seats and above) worth US$4.6 trillion. The passenger and freighter fleet will increase from today’s 18,500 aircraft to 37,500 by 2033, an increase of nearly 19,000 aircraft. Some 12,400 older less fuel efficient passenger and freighter aircraft will be retired.

Start-up airlines – how should “new-born” carriers structure their fleets?

In February 2015 a French start-up airline La Compagnie announced its plans to add a second route from Europe to the USA. In contrast to both traditional low cost and legacy airlines, the carrier aims to strengthen its position in a specific niche market of low-cost all-business class transatlantic flights. While La Compagnie’s business model still has to stand the test of time, it also reflects that the post-crisis air transport industry is regaining the trust of entrepreneurs who see new opportunities in the already rather tight market. However, the limited initial capital (and creditworthiness) turns start-up airlines into a risky customer in the eyes of many financial institutions. With this in mind, a newly built or mid-life aircraft, leasing or owning – which is the best option for a “new-born” airline?

Over the past five years approx. a hundred of new start-up carriers have been emerging annually worldwide. According to AeroTransport Data Bank, in 2013 alone over 130 new airlines were announced to launch flights. Though the same year approx. 55 carriers in various world regions ceased their operations, still the figures clearly indicate that the industry is steadily gaining back its self-confidence.

“There is no universal reason why the number of new market entrants is on the rise apart from the general growth of the global economy and the appetite for the projected demand which is to top 4 billion passengers by the end of the decade,” shares Tadas Goberis, the CEO of AviaAM Leasing. “Some legacy carriers have decided to enter the low cost segment or a new region, while some businesses have taken the risk of re-launching the brands which ceased operation during the crisis or to explore a specific niche market. In either case, the majority of new entrants mostly tend to focus on regional destinations thus supporting the demand for regional or narrow body aircraft.”

Today’s jet fuel prices are in their five-year lowest and thus are certainly in favour of start-ups. The opportunity to lower fuel expenses (which account for approx. 30% of all costs) is essential for new players in their quest for building brand awareness and biting off their portion of passengers from the established market players.

“From an operational point of view, a newly build aircraft would allow a start-up to save on its maintenance as even during the post-warranty period it naturally requires less MRO servicing. But it will cost a carrier three times as much as a first-line aircraft would. Left alone the delivery slots availability. Though manufacturers’ production lines are on their record high, still it may take up to 3 years for an order to be executed,” comments Tadas Goberis. “Meanwhile, leasing companies receive new aircraft each year meaning that they can either resell or, most likely, lease the aircraft. But the price will still be too high for many start-ups. The same goes for other “young” aircraft (up to 5 years old) as the demand for them is particularly high from both new and established carriers.” 

Lower fuel prices have also triggered a short-term increase in the demand (and thus supply) of “older” aircraft by slightly shifting their edge of retirement or re-introducing already parked ones. Considering that an average market price for a Boeing 737 classic is around USD2-3 million, this might be a cheap temporary option for some new carriers seeking to start their operations fast. However, a smarter strategic decision would be to invest into more effective aircraft types which, despite higher initial price, in a long-term perspective  cost way less to operate and maintain,  for example, a first-line Boeing 737NG or an Airbus A320 with an approx. USD15 million price tag.

In the meantime, the supply in the secondary aircraft market is on the rise. Today the average fleet age of an Asian Pacific top carriers is slightly above 6.3 years (36% younger than the fleet of their rivals in Europe), and the airlines intend to keep the fleet young with new deliveries. In fact, the region corresponds to the world’s largest aircraft backlog (over 3 500, according to CAPA). With the deliveries of new aircraft, Asian carriers (once the main operators of used aircraft) are eager to get rid of the 10+ years old first-line airplanes. Therefore, it is safe to forecast the secondary market will receive an extra injection of mid-life assets thus potentially pushing the prices down.

 “Asia is a specific market where one may find it a real challenge to sell a 10 years’ old aircraft. The trend is also supported by the local authorities who keep the age bar for imported aircraft at 12 years or so. But start-ups in the Old World, or Latin America and Africa – they don’t mind first-line planes as long as they are leased or sold for a reasonable price. But there is a catch,” comments Tadas Goberis, the CEO of AviaAM Leasing. ”The actual number of aircraft available in the secondary market is way larger than the one publicly advertised. Moreover, many potential sellers don’t even consider selling their aircraft until you come at a right place and time and offer a deal. 

But then there is another issue – if one’s brand or top management doesn’t have a name in a specific region, the carrier will most likely end up with options in the on-market only. In other words, whether a start-up considers buying or leasing an aircraft, it still needs the support of established market players which will be able to locate off-market options, structure the deal as well as its financing and eventually allow new market entrants to save several millions of dollars on fleet formation.”

Americal Airlines fligths grounded by iPad error

American Airlines planes were temporarily affected by the iPad app glitch. An app containing crucial manuals and flight plans which were previously published in a paper format unexpectedly crashed, causing dozens of American Airlines flights to be delayed. 

The error affected multiple planes across the airline's fleet. Airline spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said pilots were having to delete and reinstall the map app. She said 24 flights were delayed on Tuesday night and about 30 on Wednesday.

American Airlines said the app's problem was related to the cellular data connection, and that planes had to return to the gate to access a Wi-Fi connection to resolve the problem.

When the change to virtual manuals was first made, American Airlines said the move helped saved 400,000 gallons of fuel annually due to the decreased weight.

The glitch occurs days after the FBI issued an alert about passengers using the onboard Wi-Fi to bother the flight systems, although there has not been any official suggestion of external interference.

American Airlines is not the only carrier whose pilots and cabin crew have switched from using physical charts and paper manuals to tablets. United Airlines was also an early adopter of iPads, while Delta has opted for Microsoft's Surface tablets instead. British Airways and Ryanair are among others still in the process of shifting to so-called Electronic Flight Bag-based systems.

In addition to saving on fuel costs, it is also suggested that such kit reduces flight preparation time, reduces the likelihood of injuries and helps staff by offering real-time updates.

Depression – should it be a career ending diagnose for pilots?

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) classifies depression as a "mental abnormality" and states that in order to receive a medical certificate, a pilot should have no medical or clinical records of suffering from such an abnormality. However, if you ban some pilots from flying while they are receiving treatment for depression, then doesn’t this mean that you discourage them from seeking professional help? In other words, is it worse to have a pilot flying whilst suffering from an untreated depression as opposed to the one whose psychological problems are being addressed professionally?

One of the most recent studies of aircraft assisted suicides in the United States has found that in a 20-year period (1993–2012) the proportion of general aviation suicides in relation to the total number of fatal aviation accidents is 0.33%. However, the study has also revealed that only 22% of all individuals committing suicide communicate such an intention during their last appointment with a health professional. The reality is that the process of reliably detecting psychological problems, particularly at the early stages, if the patient does not cooperate, is extremely difficult. On top of that, pilots, probably more than any other professionals, may find themselves under pressure to conceal the problem as the diagnosis could easily become the ending point in their careers.

The impact of SSRIs...

The treatment for depression often involves taking an antidepressant. Although the type of drugs approved by the aeromedical regulatory authorities for the use by pilots varies from country to country, the most prevalent avenue for the treatment of depression is the course of Selective Serotonin Reuptake-Inhibitors (SSRIs); however, due to adverse reactions, SSRIs have been widely criticized by many members of the aerospace medical community in terms of their effects on psychomotor performance.

In the meantime, multiple post-mortem samples from pilots involved in fatal civil aircraft accidents in the United States during 1990–2001 revealed that out of 4,184 fatal civil aviation accidents, as many as 61 plane was piloted by a professional taking SSRIs. As determined by the National Transportation Safety Board, the use of an SSRI has been a contributing factor in at least nine (0.02%) of the 4,184 accidents. However, it is noteworthy that other factors, such as the weather conditions, mechanical deficiencies, and/or piloting errors, could not be completely ruled out in the aforementioned 61 cases.

 .and other drugs used among pilots

Additionally, another notable study conducted by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that out of 1353 pilots involved in fatal accidents during 2004-2008, as many as 92 (or 7%) were found to have ethanol (alcohol) present in their systems. Moreover, 28 (2%) of them tested positive for marijuana and 9 (0.7%) - for cocaine.

Meanwhile, multiple studies indicate that the percentage of drug users amongst pilots has remained relatively constant over the past 20 years (around 0.02%). However, the percentage of alcohol, cocaine and marijuana users is much higher amongst pilots treated with SSRIs.

Considering the aforementioned statistics, the currently used pilot health screening system is clearly far from perfect.

The choice is ours

If the reaction to the latest catastrophe in the Alps is to immediately assume that all pilots, with or without a history of mental illness, cannot be trusted on their own, it will do a great disservice to all pilots and will certainly dissuade those who suspect having mood swings or depression from seeking help.

“As far as I know, airline pilots don't regularly have their mental health assessed. There are pilots with history of depression who have flown safely for decades. No destructive behavior can be directly linked to mental illness, as multiple studies have shown. Just as in hospital practice, pilots with alcohol problems should know they may count on receiving help, get appropriate treatment and return to their normal and happy life. Pilots dealing with stress and anxiety should know that too,” shares a psychologist familiar with aviation. “The main issue does not even lie with psychology specialists or pilots themselves. Instead, it is rather a regulatory concern, with both mental and physical well-being of pilots (and thus passengers) being the top priority for airlines and the entire industry.”

Instead of a lengthy conclusion, let’s consider several noteworthy examples. The Canadian aviation authorities have an aeromedically supervised treatment protocol that allows a small number of pilots to fly “with or as co-pilots” whilst undergoing antidepressant treatment and therapy. In the meantime, from January 1993 to June 2004 the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (ACASA) allowed nearly 500 pilots and air traffic controllers to return to duty while their depression was under control with SSRIs. Guess what? All of them (apart from those in retirement) are still flying planes today… and landing them safely.

What does that mean? Mainly, that a combination of awareness, support and advocacy can help save lives. The airline industry needs to create an open environment where pilots always feel comfortable in admitting whatever issue they may have.