On 22 January 2009, EASA officially published the results of the scientific study. As expected, the study identifies a number of legal provisions in Subpart Q that need improvement to ensure adequate levels of flight safety (details see below). Having identified a number of factors that increase pilot fatigue - thereby potentially reducing flight safety - the study states that "some of the present [EU-OPS] rules or proposed modifications of rules are in violation with one or more of these factors."

The study points out "problems" e.g. in the area of a large number of pilots' duty hours in a short time, long duty hours, night duty, early starts of duty, time-zone crossing, and standby duty. Based on their assessment, the scientists conclude, e.g. that:

• The currently allowed maximum daily flight duty period of 13-14 hours "exceeds reasonable limits" and is "not in keeping with the body of scientific evidence"; it should therefore be reduced;
• The currently allowed maximum of 11:45 hours night duty should be reduced to 10 hours, because of the particularly fatiguing nature of work at night;
• The currently allowed practice of 3 consecutive 60-hour weeks (i.e. 180 duty hours in 21 days) needs to be changed by setting an additional limit of 100 duty hours within 14 consecutive days (i.e. an average of 50 hours/week, instead of 60);
• The currently allowed practice of "advancing" the end of the pilots' weekly rest - which allows a start of duty as early as 04:00 in the morning - is "unacceptable" as "it would result in aircrew starting their week [...] in a fatigued state"; hence this practice should not be allowed;
• Stand-by at the airport is as fatiguing as flight duty, and should therefore not be considered as "rest" but normally "count 100% as flight duty when calculating the maximum flight duty period.

Moebus Aviation FTL Study - Full Report (PDF)

Summary of the study's main findings (PDF)

EASA Explanatory Note (PDF)