Germanwings co-pilot told Lufthansa about depressive episodes

Andreas Lubitz
(Image credit: Stringer/Getty Images)

Officials from Lufthansa, Germanwings' parent company, revealed Tuesday that the company knew Andreas Lubitz suffered from depression. Lubitz apparently told the company about his condition in 2009, when he resumed his pilot training after a leave of absence.

Lufthansa also said that it had given prosecutors emails between Lubitz and the flight training school, which included medical records about a "deep depressive episode." The company said in a statement that it is revealing the information "in the interest of a swift and thorough clarification."

Lubitz, the co-pilot of the Germanwings jet that crashed into the French Alps last week, is believed to have intentionally crashed the plane, killing all 150 people on board. German prosecutors announced Monday that Lubitz had been treated for suicidal tendencies, but Lufthansa said Tuesday that Lubitz had "passed all medical checks" after the episode, The Associated Press reports.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.