LONDON – Millions of air passengers are at risk from pilots who are “too tired to flyâ€, an airline union has warned.
New EU rules governing flying hours are “flawed†and will raise the risk of an accident, says the British Airline Pilots’ Association.
In a report carried in London’s Daily Mail, the union says commercial airlines put pressure on pilots to fly when they are unfit to do so – and EU aviation regulators let them.
The EU rules allow up to 14 hours flying during the day and 11 hours 45 minutes at night.
According to the union, pilot fatigue is already a factor in up to one in six, or 15 per cent, of accidents.
Pilots and crew from 36 countries yesterday held demonstrations at European airports calling for stricter rules on hours.
They believe the EU is doing too little despite scientific evidence its flight time rules are ‘flawed’.
Three years ago, in a bid to standardise pilot flying hours, the European Parliament agreed rules on flight times.
But pilots argued the rules would result in more fatigue, putting lives at risk.
The European Parliament instructed the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to send the rules to 13 safety experts and scientists, and they reported back earlier this year.
The report says the 14-hour day time flying limit is “excessive†and night flying time should be reduced to 10 hours.
