New Zealand strengthens pilot rules after Germanwings crash

Passenger jets operating in New Zealand must have at least two people in the cockpit at all times, New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced Friday, after reviewing its rules in light of the Germanwings air crash in the French Alps.

The new rule, effective immediately, applied to domestic and international flights, acting director of civil aviation John Kay said in a statement, adding, "The CAA takes a precautionary approach on such matters in the interests of safety."

Kay also said, "All New Zealand airline pilots undergo extensive and recurrent medical assessments to determine their fitness to hold a licence. As part of this, aeromedical examiners are required to assess a commercial pilot's physical and mental health at each medical examination which, for an airline pilot flying with at least one other pilot, is undertaken annually."

When assessing an individual's "fit and proper" status, which was also required for pilots, the director of civil aviation was empowered to take into account any history of mental health of serious behavioral problems.

Kay said, "We will closely monitor the situation as the Germanwings investigation continues and review our current requirements if any need improving or updating."

The review was undertaken after French and German investigators revealed the Germanwings co-pilot might have deliberately crashed the aircraft after locking his fellow pilot out of the flight deck. Endi