Pilots decry industry push for solo flying
Pilots are speaking out against an aviation industry push toward having a sole crew member in the cockpit. At a Thursday news conference in Montreal, leaders of three of the world's largest pilot unions representing more than 150,000 workers said a proposal to Europe's aviation regulator aims to boost airline profits at the expense of safety. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency is mulling a pitch by plane makers Airbus and Dassault Aviation for some aircraft to be crewed by just one pilot for part of the flight - though not during takeoff and landing - by 2027. Currently, two pilots are required at the flight deck throughout the trip. The proposal would create an “unacceptable” safety risk for passengers, said Jack Netskar, president of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, which includes some 6,200 Canadians. “There is no replacement for the skills and experience of at least two pilots at the controls of the flight deck at all times,” he said. Some manufacturers have framed single-person flying as a solution to labour shortages and pilot fatigue, said European Cockpit Association president Otjan de Bruijn, calling the characterization “misleading and inaccurate.” “It's a gamble with safety,” he said. The proposal could see only one pilot at the throttle during “less challenging phases” of a flight, so typically in cruise rather than at takeoff and landing, while the other pilot or pilots rest in the back, said Janet Northcote, spokeswoman for the European aviation agency. A pair would swap places halfway through the trip, but both pilots would be in the cockpit for the first and last 45 minutes or so. In theory, the change could mean that longer routes which previously demanded three or four pilots on an in-flight rotation could make do with just two. The concept - still years away from potential implementation - is being investigated more intensely by the agency, said Northcote. So-called single-pilot operations, when just one pilot is on board from start to finish, are also undergoing “some consideration” - but only for freighters, she said.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-05-05/general/pilots-decry-industry-push-for-solo-flying
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Pilots decry industry push for solo flying
Pilots are speaking out against an aviation industry push toward having a sole crew member in the cockpit. At a Thursday news conference in Montreal, leaders of three of the world's largest pilot unions representing more than 150,000 workers said a proposal to Europe's aviation regulator aims to boost airline profits at the expense of safety. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency is mulling a pitch by plane makers Airbus and Dassault Aviation for some aircraft to be crewed by just one pilot for part of the flight - though not during takeoff and landing - by 2027. Currently, two pilots are required at the flight deck throughout the trip. The proposal would create an “unacceptable” safety risk for passengers, said Jack Netskar, president of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, which includes some 6,200 Canadians. “There is no replacement for the skills and experience of at least two pilots at the controls of the flight deck at all times,” he said. Some manufacturers have framed single-person flying as a solution to labour shortages and pilot fatigue, said European Cockpit Association president Otjan de Bruijn, calling the characterization “misleading and inaccurate.” “It's a gamble with safety,” he said. The proposal could see only one pilot at the throttle during “less challenging phases” of a flight, so typically in cruise rather than at takeoff and landing, while the other pilot or pilots rest in the back, said Janet Northcote, spokeswoman for the European aviation agency. A pair would swap places halfway through the trip, but both pilots would be in the cockpit for the first and last 45 minutes or so. In theory, the change could mean that longer routes which previously demanded three or four pilots on an in-flight rotation could make do with just two. The concept - still years away from potential implementation - is being investigated more intensely by the agency, said Northcote. So-called single-pilot operations, when just one pilot is on board from start to finish, are also undergoing “some consideration” - but only for freighters, she said.<br/>
