EU airline safety regulation must reject idea of reducing numbers of pilots on flights – Doherty

The EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) should come out against proposals to halve the minimum number of pilots in the cockpit during a flight, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

The EASA is the European agency responsible for ensuring common safety procedures on flights and is evaluating the prospect of “extended Minimum Crew Operations”, which would reduce the minimum number of pilots required to be in the flight deck of a passenger plane from two to one during a flight.

Senator Regina Doherty, Fine Gael’s candidate for the European Elections in Dublin said: “Pilots across Europe are rightly concerned about proposals to only require one pilot to be in the cockpit of a passenger plane during a flight. While it may offer big airlines a chance to save money and fly for longer by operating shifts, it will only serve to undermine longstanding safety procedures in the airline sector.

“At present, air travel is one of the safest ways to travel long distances. This is largely due to the fact that if something were to happen to a pilot during a flight, there would be another one on hand to step in. If we reduce the minimum requirements for pilots in the cockpit from two to one, then we stand to create riskier situations. It would mean that a pilot who falls ill, has health issues, is fatigued during a flight, or indeed a pilot who is faced with an automation failure during a flight, will have no option but to continue flying the plane by themselves, alone.

“This is why I am calling on EASA to be extremely cautious on this proposal. Our pilots who ensure passenger safety have already called for this proposal to be withdrawn. We should listen to them. Such a proposal undermines confidence in the airline sector, increases pressures on pilots, and potentially damages the tourist season and foreign direct investment by putting people off flying. While I support efforts by business leaders to develop and grow their business, it should not be done at the expense of safety concerns in the airline sector.”