EASA to examine safety concerns and risk-mitigation for single-pilot operations

Safety aspects of two potential scenarios for single-pilot operations in commercial aircraft are to be assessed under a new research project initiated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The project is intended to provide a “qualitative and quantitative” assessment of the main safety hazards as well as examine whether compensation measures proposed enable these single-pilot concepts to be implemented without reducing the safety levels associated with current two-pilot operations. EASA says it has been approached by airframers “interested in exploring the possibility” of reducing the number of pilots in large aircraft operations in the medium to long term. The first concept under consideration is extended minimum-crew operations, or ‘eMCOs’, whereby flight times are increased by allowing single-pilot periods during cruise – supplemented by advanced cockpit support or ground assistance – and enabling crew rest. The more radical concept – with a potential introduction from 2030 – involves end-to-end single-pilot operations, or SiPOs. EASA points out that its air operations regulations regarding flightcrew composition already lay out conditions which might permit single-pilot operations. “In the future, it is expected that these conditions and limitations will need to evolve in order to extend single-pilot operations to large [aircraft],” the authority says, “provided that compensation means…are in place in order to provide for an overall level of safety equivalent to today’s two-pilot operations.”<br/>