Brussels, 23/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The amendments to the proposals on flight periods by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have been a great disappointment to aeroplane pilots. For the past year they have been complaining of the danger to airline passenger safety if flight and rest periods are not established in order to tackle pilot fatigue.
At the end of 2011, the EASA published a proposal amending the previous version of December 2010. The European Cockpit Association welcomes these amendments but considers that flight time limits are not enough to tackle the issue of pilot fatigue. The dispute mainly focuses on night flights. EASA has brought the flight time limit down from 12 to 11 hours, although the Cockpit Association had been arguing vociferously for the limit to be set at 10 hours maximum. The Secretary General of the association, Philip von Schöppenthau, considers that “such provisions - and there are many more - are against EASA's legal mandate, against the precautionary principle, and against the most fundamental passenger right: the right to a safe flight. EASA can and must do better”. Another stumbling block was highlighted by the association's president, Nico Voorbach: “A pilot could be asked to land the plane after 20-21 hours of being awake. This is not what passengers deserve! Passengers and pilots expect the EU legislator to set strong safety legislation”. (MD/trans/fl)