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EU aviation plan sparks 'pilot fatigue' warning | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Plans to change how pilots' working hours are regulated would put safety at risk, a pilots' union has warned. | |
The European Union says it wants to tighten and standardise the varying time limits for flying, and MEPs are due to vote on new rules later. | |
But UK pilots' union Balpa says the move would cut safety standards and see more pilots suffering fatigue. | |
Air travel regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the changes would improve safety on some flights. | |
Balpa claimed the new rules would allow pilots to: | |
General secretary Jim McAuslan said the proposals went "against expert advice" and were "unscientific". | |
The union wants the European Parliament to back a motion requiring the European Commission to have the proposals scrutinised by scientific and medical experts. | |
Last week, a survey by the union suggested more than half of pilots had fallen asleep while in charge of an aircraft - with one in three waking to find their co-pilot sleeping as well. | |
'False and irresponsible' | |
If MEPs vote in favour, the changes will be introduced in 2015. | |
The European Commission said the legislation would ensure airlines operated the same flying rules across Europe, and flight time limits would be lowered. | The European Commission said the legislation would ensure airlines operated the same flying rules across Europe, and flight time limits would be lowered. |
"Any impression that is being given that the proposals would weaken those rules is false and irresponsible," a commission spokesman said. | |
The union claimed combined flight and standby time could lead to pilots being awake for 22 hours before landing. | |
But the CAA said that it would not support the move if it believed this was the case. | |
"It is important to understand this scenario will almost never happen," a spokesman said. | |
The CAA added the changes would improve safety for some passengers and help it "oversee fatigue risk management". | |
"We think the new European flight time limitation regulations maintain the UK's current high safety levels, and will actually increase safety for UK passengers travelling on some other European airlines," a spokesman said. | |
"This view is informed by expert opinion, based on scientific principles, operational knowledge, regulatory oversight information and research." | |
'Isolated incident' | |
Ministers have also backed the plans. | |
But support for the pilots' case has come from Commons Transport Committee chairwoman Louise Ellman. | But support for the pilots' case has come from Commons Transport Committee chairwoman Louise Ellman. |
In Balpa's poll of 500 commercial pilots, 56% admitted sleeping and 29% said they had woken up to find the other pilot asleep as well. | |
The survey came after an incident log recorded two pilots on an Airbus passenger plane falling asleep at the same time while the aircraft was mid-flight on autopilot. | |
The airline concerned disputed the report, the CAA said. | |