Three-quarters of European airline pilots have dozed off in the cockpit, while nearly a quarter have continued flying despite being too fatigued to work, a new report shows.
A survey of nearly 7,200 captains and first officers by the European Cockpit Association (ECA) found widespread reports of inadequate rest, pressure to work longer hours and fears of being penalised for reporting themselves unfit to fly.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of pilots admitted that, even when too fatigued to work, they would usually choose to continue flying rather than report their condition. Another 16.8% would take sick leave.
The Guardian reported that fatigue in aviation can stem from long duty hours, insufficient rest, irregular schedules and flights across time zones, all of which can disrupt the body's natural sleep cycle. Fatigue poses a major safety risk because it impairs pilots' judgement, slows their reactions, reduces alertness and weakens their ability to respond to emergencies.
Under European aviation safety regulations, airlines must have systems in place to identify, monitor and manage crew fatigue.
But the survey, conducted in August this year, found that as many as three-quarters of respondents admitted experiencing at least one “microsleep” — a brief, involuntary episode of sleep — while flying in the four weeks before they were surveyed. Pilots at Irish and Maltese airlines reported the highest rates of dozing off, with more than 30% of respondents reporting a long-term build-up of fatigue caused by inadequate rest.
Capt Tanja Harter, the president of the ECA, stressed that airlines and regulatory authorities should take responsibility rather than leave risk management entirely to pilots. She urged the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to strengthen fatigue management rules.
