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European vote on pilot flying hours amid safety warning EU aviation plan sparks 'pilot fatigue' warning
(about 7 hours later)
Changes to rules governing European pilots' working hours are to be put to a vote of Euro-MPs 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 time limits for flying which currently differ between member states. 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.
The UK pilots' union Balpa says the new rules could see more pilots suffering fatigue, putting safety at risk. But UK pilots' union Balpa says the move would cut safety standards and see more pilots suffering fatigue.
Pilots claim the new limits are longer than currently exist in the UK, which the European Commission denies. Air travel regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the changes would improve safety on some flights.
Last week, a survey by Balpa suggested more than half of pilots had fallen asleep while in charge of an aircraft. Balpa claimed the new rules would allow pilots to:
The European Parliament will vote on the changes, which have sparked a row about safety and how best to reduce pilot fatigue, on Monday. General secretary Jim McAuslan said the proposals went "against expert advice" and were "unscientific".
Pilot support 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.
But Balpa said there were problems with the proposals, including loopholes that could mean British aircrews end up flying for longer with more risk of pilots falling asleep at the controls. "Any impression that is being given that the proposals would weaken those rules is false and irresponsible," a commission spokesman said.
An EU official said the union was distorting the plans to make flight times appear longer in order to push for even lower limits. The union claimed combined flight and standby time could lead to pilots being awake for 22 hours before landing.
The UK government and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have backed the changes. 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.
If MEPs vote in favour, the changes will be introduced in 2015. 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.
Isolated incident 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 new rules include allowing pilots to land aircraft after being awake for 22 hours, as well as being able to work seven early starts in a row rather than the current three. The airline concerned disputed the report, the CAA said.
Balpa wants the European Parliament to back a motion requiring the European Commission to have the proposals scrutinised by scientific and medical experts.
In the Balpa 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 it emerged two pilots on an Airbus passenger plane were asleep at the same time while the aircraft was flying on autopilot.
The CAA said the incident on 13 August was an isolated one.