< Reveal sidebar

FAA Launches First-Of-Its-Kind Committee On Pilots’ Mental Health

The new committee will help in 'breaking down barriers' on reporting mental health issues.

Many commuter flights are operated by a single pilot. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fangzhong Guo)

With concerns raised over whether pilots fear seeking treatment for mental health issues, the FAA announced on Thursday it will establish a Pilot Mental Health Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to address the issue. According to the announcement, the FAA “expects the committee to provide recommendations on breaking down the barriers that prevent pilots from reporting mental health issues to the agency.”

Members of the committee will include medical experts and representatives from aviation and labor. In the coming weeks, the charter for the ARC will be finalized and the FAA will appoint its panel of experts.

Noting that work has already been accomplished on the subject, the FAA said the new initiative will build on that foundation. Among the areas given priority are: increasing mental health training for aviation medical examiners (AMEs); providing support for industry-wide studies and research into pilots’ mental health; adding more mental health professionals to the FAA staff with the dual goals of expanding in-house expertise in the field and hastening “return-to-fly” decision-making for pilots awaiting FAA action; performing clinical research and amending policies on cognitive testing for pilots taking antidepressant medication; and ramping up efforts to connect with pilot groups to inform them of available resources.

Newly confirmed FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, said, “Mental health care has made great strides in recent years, and we want to make sure the FAA is considering those advances when we evaluate the health of pilots.”

Editor’s Note: This story first appeared on AvWeb

AirlineGeeks.com Staff

Author

  • AirlineGeeks.com Staff

    AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.

    View all posts

Subscribe to AirlineGeeks' Daily Check-In

Receive a daily dose of the airline industry's top stories along with market insights right in your inbox.

Related Stories

‘Action Slip’ Caused British Airways 777 Rejected Takeoff

The U.K.’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has released its final report on a “serious incident” involving a British Airways…

Mother-daughter pilot team

Alaska Achieves Milestone With First Mother-Son Pilot Pairing

In a historic moment for Alaska Airlines just ahead of Mother’s Day, Capt. Michelle Miles and her son, First Officer…

Sun Country 737-800

Sun Country CEO Declares Pilot Shortage ‘Over’

Sun Country CEO Jude Bricker said there are several reasons to feel bullish about the Minneapolis-based low-cost carrier, but perhaps…