Pilots warn workloads are safety threat

"In fact, pilots already fall asleep," says Belgian daily De Standaard quoting a spokesperson of the European Cockpit Association (ECA). According to the ECA, which represents airline pilots in the EU, recent efforts to harmonise working hours in the European aviation sector will lead to longer hours for all. Belgian pilots, for example, could be forced to work 11 to 12 consecutive hours compared with 10 hours currently, the paper explains. The ECA adds –

Four pilots out of five say they suffer from lack of sleep and a third report incidents of the captain and the co-pilot falling asleep while the on-board computer piloted the plane.

The lack of sleep among pilots is not a new problem. Recently, low-cost firm Ryanair caused a stir following testimony concerning flight safety –

Some pilots have testified that they flew while being "ill or burned out" because, they said: "if we don't fly, we won't be paid." A week earlier, some pilots said they "were under pressure to fly using the least amount of fuel possible". Ryanair has denied both accusations.

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In a leader article, two members of the Dutch Expert Group on Aviation Safety warned that the new European rules "include the worse elements of current national regulations".

It is time to ask the question of whether the European rules devised for working hours and times of rest as well as the current rights of European passengers are quite reasonable. Is it sensible to expand working hours to the maximum in a structural manner? And why should passengers be awarded compensation if a captain decides to make an unscheduled stop to safeguard their own safety?