IATA chief doubts single-pilot operations will be seen soon, ‘if ever’

The director general of airline association IATA believes the debate over single-pilot operations in commercial aviation will continue for many years, with no certainty that such practices will ever be adopted by carriers. Former pilot Willie Walsh said that while he would happily fly in an aircraft operated by a single pilot, given he could “take over if necessary”, the debate on the issue is likely to “go on for some time”. “I don’t expect to see a move to single-pilot operation, if ever, but certainly I don’t see it in the next 15-20, even 25 years,” Walsh states. That is despite the former IAG chief acknowledging that the technology in current-generation aircraft is “night and day” when compared with that seen in the Boeing 737-200s he first flew in 1980. Walsh’s comments came after the European Union put forward a working paper at the recent ICAO assembly on the introduction of extended minimum-crew operations (eMCO) and, at a later stage, single-pilot operations (SiPO), highlighting the challenges and opportunities that both concepts bring. The paper notes that the eMCO concept can be seen as ”an early step towards increased automation, ultimately leading to SiPO”. It would see a single pilot in the cockpit for the cruise phase of a flight, while a second pilot rests, meaning only two pilots being on board long-haul flights, versus the three or four currently required to ensure that two are always in the cockpit. <br/>