BALPA: Pilots lobby Ministers and MPs to oppose EU lower safety standards

They told Transport Secretary Philip Hammond and other Ministers that the British Government should stand firm against the EU which wants to increase UK pilot flying hours over and above the levels deemed safe by scientists and medical experts.

Jim McAuslan, General Secretary of the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said that flight safety across the world has stopped improving and, with the number of flights expected to double by 2030, there was now a real threat that, after 50 years of steady improvement, the accident rate would start climbing again.

Studies show that 15 to 20 per cent of all fatal air accidents have pilot fatigue as a contributing factor and that the relative accident risk increases by three times when a pilot has been on duty for more than 12 hours (and continues to increase as the duty period lengthens).

'Yet the EU now wants to bring in legislation that increases pilot flying hours,' Jim McAuslan declared.

As an example, he added, current UK rules limit the maximum hours a pilot can operate to 10 hours 15 minutes (reporting for duty at 05:45 and operating 2 flights) but the EU plans to increase that to 13 hours 55 minutes.

As shown in a recent YouGov poll (note 1) these rules will cause surprise amongst the public with only 3% of Britons believing pilots should be on duty for more than 12 hours.

'This is a disaster waiting to happen and we are asking the Government, and indeed every MP, to oppose it. It is madness, even truck drivers' maximum is capped at 10 hours.

'What is so unprofessional is that the EU ignored the available science which has built up over many years of research and operational experience.'

The EU proposals for longer flying hours will go to the Council of Ministers, on which the UK has a seat, next year.

'Meanwhile,' Jim McAuslan said,' we want to hear from MPs. 'Are they going to stand up for British safety standards and the wellbeing of their constituents?'

Note 1:The poll was conducted by YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2006 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 21st - 24th January 2011. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).