EU releases action plan for safer aviation following Germanwings accident

The European Union (EU) on Tuesday released an action plan to strengthen aviation safety following the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 on March 24 this year.

The European Commission, or the EU's executive body, unveiled an Action Plan implementing the recommendations made in July by the Task-Force led by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on the Germanwings flight crash.

This was another step towards safer aviation, the Commission said in a statement.

Convened at the request of EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc, the Task-Force had primarily called for better checks on crew members.

Then, EASA developed the Action Plan, which outlined how the agency intends to implement these recommendations, in close cooperation with the European Commission.

"By providing a clear roadmap for EU action, it will help preventing future accidents or incidents," the statement quoted Commissioner Violeta Bulc as saying.

On March 24, 2015, the Germanwings Flight 9525, an Airbus A320-200 jet, crashed in the French Alps, killing all 144 passengers and six crew members. Black boxes information showed that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed the plane after locking the pilot out of the cockpit. Endit