BALPA report raises pilot fatigue fears
09.04.11
Pilots' abilities are compromised through fatigue, according to a report published by UK pilots union BALPA. The organisation, which commissioned University College London to send questionnaires out to pilots working for a major British airline, said 492 pilots – almost half - replied to the survey and 45% of them said they suffered ‘significant fatigue’.
A further one in five said their flying capabilities were compromised at least once a week because they had not had enough sleep. Another pilot, working for a different airline, admitted to the BBC that he fell asleep after giving his co-pilot the go ahead to take a power nap, leaving the plane unmanned.
BALPA has published the report to highlight its concerns that the state of affairs will worsen as European authorities prepare to raise annual flying hours allowed from 900 to 1000. This, however, has been refuted by European officials.
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