European aviation is doing a poor job of managing the risks associated with pilot fatigue, according to a survey conducted by aviation safety management consultancy Baines Simmons and published on Monday 28 August by the European Cockpit Association (ECA), which represents European pilots.
The report not only identified significant indicators of fatigue in the run-up to the summer period, but also structural shortcomings. The airlines under the supervision of several countries - in particular Ireland, Malta, Spain and the United Kingdom - are the worst performers in many of the areas covered by the report.
For the survey, the responses of nearly 6,900 European pilots from 31 countries were collected in July and analysed. The main risks identified are: - micro-sleeps in the cockpit; - insufficient rest to prevent cumulative fatigue; - extending flight duties beyond the legal maximum.
“There are clear indications of improvement being required, and a lack of standardisation across European states”, the report concludes.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/8d3 (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)