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On 5 October, reports De Morgen, hundreds of pilots and cabin crew members took part in consciousness-raising actions at 22 European airports to draw attention to the risks of aircrew fatigue. “Pilot fatigue is considered to be a contributory cause to 15-20 per cent of all fatal aircraft accidents,” explains Martin Schalk, president of the European Cockpit Association (ECA), which represents some 39,000 pilots from 38 European countries and launched the 2nd European Action Day on this issue. The association is urging the EU to stiffen up the rules on how many hours a pilot can fly, currently limited to 14 hours for a two-pilot flight, though extendable to 16 hours. The ECA recalls that the EU already did a study on the phenomenon last year, but took no action under pressure from the airline lobbies. The Flemish daily quotes various pilots as admitting that they “tipple during night flights”, “fly less conscientiously”, “make one little mistake after another”, or have “problems concentrating” due to fatigue.
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