Lufthansa says it was not required to report co-pilot's depression

Whitewash. Read this from the Wail Street Journal, 6 April 2015: http://www.pressreader.com/china/the-wall-street-journal-asia/20150406/281694023292337/TextView The WSJ report that 'years before the crash" The European Union "rebuked" Lufthansa for "oversights" with regard to monitoring its personnel and last November basically told the airline to get its act together.

Lufthansa can say all they want. This frequent flier will not fly with them ever again.

Lufthansa indicated Monday that it was under no obligation to report to Germany’s national aviation authority the fact that Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had suffered from depression before qualifying as a pilot several years ago.

Wow, what a change of face. What happened to the company that has prided itself -- almost boasted in fact -- about its great safety record and that other airlines use Lufthansa to do their maintenance? Now they are falling back on "under no obligation"? Clearly the lawyers have taken over and they are circling the wagons, because they see HUGE lawsuits coming, and their insurance companies will not pay out if they was any negligence on Lufthansa's part.

Generally, I don't think depression is anyone's business. But I have certain qualifications.

I think they need to get off the "severe depression" kick and focus more on his rage issues.

Lufthansa seems to be saying that they had no LEGAL obligation to stop this PILOT with mental issues, which sounds like a total crock of $hit but as others are pointing out, the LAWYERS are taking over and Lufthansa is 100% in DAMAGE CONTROL, since they are the head company of germanwings. Now, just for the sake of argument, yes LUFTHANSA may have had no LEGAL obligation but please do not try and tell me that they did not have a MORAL obligation to stop this deppressed, suicidal PILOT for their airline. It makes NO SENSE to have such a pilot working in ANY airlines, unless the Taliban or Al Qaeda are thinking of making a new airline?

Please don't randomly capitalize words.

And you can't fault the company. It's the regulation's fault for not requiring reporting. Besides, even if it was reported what gurantee is there that the pilot would not have been allowed to fly? Are you people suggesting that anyone who has ever suffered depression should be barred from flying?

Lfuthansa says it was not required to report co-pilot's depression

Boy, that makes me feel a whole lot better about flying Lufthansa. It's nice to know that there is an airline out there which puts the privacy of its mentally ill pilots ahead of the safety of its passengers. I guess I better get signed up immediately for their frequent flier program.

Are you people suggesting that anyone who has ever suffered depression should be barred from flying?

This case is about someone who suffered from a severe depression, not just an insignificant bout of depression and the problem is that it was covered up - OK - not reported to the aviation authorities. Lufthansa is trying to cover its tracks hiding behind legal requirements and gloss over what they should have done. In selecting pilots who are responsible for the lives of hundreds of people per flight you do not take any risk. Mental instability is an extremely unpredictable phenomenon. You would never take any chances with that. The airline can wriggle all it wants, but they carry a heavy responsibility.