The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the publication of new training requirements for airline pilots to prevent loss of control situations.

The upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) requirements aim to improve safety standards by mitigating loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) accidents. The requirements are based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and recommended practices and have been developed by EASA in consultation with leading industry experts. All European airlines and commercial business jet operators are required to implement these provisions by April 2016.

Patrick Ky, EASA executive director, said: “A number of accidents in recent years have demonstrated that loss of control remains a major area of concern for regulators and should be tackled with the highest priority.”

“Although LOC-I events are rare, 97 per cent of the LOC-I accidents over the past five years involved fatalities to passengers or crew. Partnering with EASA on this important initiative based on global standards and best practices will reduce the likelihood of such events in future,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO.

IATA, through its Pilot Training Task Force, is developing detailed guidance material in support of the implementation of the provisions by its European members.