Ten years after the Germanwings tragedy: Memory in Haltern and Le Vernet

Ten years after the Germanwings tragedy: Memory in Haltern and Le Vernet

On March 24, 2025, numerous people recalled the tragedy of Germanwings crash, which took place on March 24, 2015 in the French Alps. The flight 9525 was on the way from Barcelona to Düsseldorf and tragically 150 people died from 18 different nationalities. Investigators found that the co-pilot, who was on sick leave due to psychological problems, had deliberately brought about the crash. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary, memorial celebrations were organized in various cities, especially at the crash location near Le Vernet.

Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr expressed his deep sympathy for the bereaved. Many members of the victims gathered at the scene of the accident, while memory events also took place in Düsseldorf and Barcelona. In Le Vernet, about a dozen people, including the German Vice General Consul and Local, laid down flowers. At 10:41 a.m., the time of the crash, a minute's silence was held. A school class from Haltern am See, which was also among the victims, was particularly honored. There was another commemoration there, in which wreaths were laid down in the urban cemetery.

The mental health of pilots in focus

The serious incident not only has followed human tragedies, but also raised fundamental questions about the mental health of pilots. On the day of the crash, the co-pilot, which took antidepressants and sleeping pills, was on sick leave, but he had not told his employer. Critics point out that mental health plays a central role in aviation and that the existing control mechanisms are inadequate.

After the accident, a questionnaire on the mental health of pilots, which consists of 21 questions, which must be answered on a scale from "voice completely" to "voice". Sebastian Ebert, an aviation doctor, emphasizes the importance of a combination of this questionnaire and personal conversations between pilots and doctors. In Switzerland, 3-4 pilots are temporarily losing their flight license.

changes in aviation medicine

The relevance of mental health has become even clearer due to this tragedy. Before the accident, German authorities had only sent fitness certificates, but no complete medical reports. The latest regulations stipulate that all medical documents have to be transmitted to the Federal Aviation Authority non-pseudonymized. The EASA also recommends building a central, European data register for aviation medical data.

After ten years, the memory of the tragic Germanwings crash is still alive and illustrates the importance of mental health in the cockpit. The aviation industry is faced with the challenge of learning from this tragedy and implementing sustainable improvements.

For more information about the memorial events and the developments in aviation medicine, the reports of Vol.at , srf.ch and Deutschlandfunk .