Pilots working conditions unsafe
Stewart PerryA group of airline pilots who are complaining about long working hours which may put lives in danger are set to hold demonstrations all over Europe.
Unions of European air crews are arguing current rules regarding how long pilots can fly for are unsafe, claiming fatigue factors in 15% of all accidents.
Despite the complaints, the European Aviation Safety Agency says it needs a scientific report on the subject.
No demonstrations are scheduled for the UK due to the illegality of pilot industrial action on airport property.
But British pilots could join continental demonstrations with colleagues from 35 other European countries.
European air crew have said that the industry’s cost cutting ways have affected their working conditions.
The general secretary of British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), Jim McAuslan, has expressed fears that the European Union’s recent moves to streamline airline working conditions by 2012 might put additional pressure on pilots.
McAuslan said that only scientists possessing an expertise in fatigue may understand the full impact on a human body flying through many time zones, having numerous consecutive early starts plus a series of late night duties and all the further tasks that are factored into a pilot’s life.
He added that at the start of 2009 some of the world’s most acclaimed fatigue experts presented their findings which proved that the EU rules were unsafe.
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