Brussels, 14/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - Pilots and cabin crew were demonstrating in front of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Monday 14 May, as they are tired of seeing the Agency proposing insufficient rules on limiting flight times. The initiative is particularly displeasing to the airlines, which have turned a deaf ear to the protests of their employees.
Insufficient proposals. The pilots and cabin crew have stressed many times that the proposals of the EASA on flight time limits do not reduce the risks linked to aircrew and pilot fatigue. They have long been calling for the EASA to be less subject to pressure brought to bear by the major airlines, but to base itself instead on the scientific foundations to guarantee aviation security. “Science has demonstrated that long flight and duty hours, and insufficient rest and sleep opportunities, will lead to a decline of alertness and performance”, explains Nico Voorbach, President of the European Cockpit Association. In particular, the pilots call into question the team's proposals on flight time, on-call times for pilots and the number of takeoffs/landings per day. The demonstration, which gathered around 300 people in Cologne in front of the headquarters of the EASA, will lead to a meeting on 15 and 16 May between the EASA and the interested parties.
Reactions of the airlines. However, the demonstration has come under fire from the airlines. Three associations representing their interests (Association of European Airlines, International Air Carrier Association and European Regions Airline Association) immediately reacted by stating that the demonstration gave the wrong impression of European aviation safety. They are working on the principle that the EASA proposals do no more and no less than to harmonise European rules, and are not controversial, particularly as the workers had the opportunity to get their points of view across at a working group. Instead of stressing their arguments via demonstration, the associations believe that the pilots would be better off making their comments exclusively within that body. (MD/transl.fl)