Press Releases

New EU Pilot Fatigue Rules – Improvements, but not yet Safe
Jan 18, 2012

Today, new rules to combat the safety risks posed by fatigued pilots have been proposed by EASA, the European Aviation Safety Agency. While the Agency makes urgently needed improvements to its initial proposal of Dec. 2010, more needs to be done to protect air passenger safety.
Scientific research shows where flight time limits and rest periods must be set to guarantee pilots are fully alert to bring their passengers safely to destination. And yet EASA ignores such research in key aspects of its proposal.

New US Pilot Fatigue Rules Published - Despite Intense Industry Opposition
Dec 22, 2011

Yesterday, the US Federal Aviation Administration announced the publication of new safety rules, aimed at ensuring that pilot fatigue – due to long duty hours, insufficient rest/sleep opportunities, etc. – does not endanger flight operations. These rules come almost 3 years after 50 people died in the US Colgan Air accident in which pilot fatigue played a crucial role.

EU Ministers – Make Passenger Safety Your Priority No.1: Pilots Demonstrate for Safe Science-based Fatigue Rules
Jun 16, 2011

At tomorrow’s EU Transport Council, in Luxembourg, pilots from across Europe will gather to call on EU Transport Ministers to place the safety of Europe’s air passengers at the center of future EU rules on pilot fatigue. With pilot fatigue contributing to 15-20% of all fatal air accidents, Ministers cannot afford to look away while recently proposed EU rules disregard decades of scientific evidence.

Single European Sky – The Human Dimension is key to success!
Mar 2, 2011

The February 2010 Madrid Declaration on Single European Sky acknowledged “the human factor as the overriding enabler of change” but nothing has really happened in that respect since then. Air traffic controllers and pilots have decided to play an active role in shaping Europe’s future Air Traffic Management (ATM) system.

ECA Elects a New President: “Together We Stand, Divided We Fall”
Feb 25, 2011

During its extraordinary General Assembly, held on 24 February in Brussels, ECA’s Member Associations elected two new members of its Executive Board: Nico Voorbach, from the Dutch association, as President of ECA; and Jon Horne, from the British association, as Professional Affairs Director. They join the Board of Directors, which had already welcomed in November 2010 two new Technical Directors, Álvaro Gammicchia and Francis Nardy.

Does Europe Need Dead Bodies to Act on Pilot Fatigue?
Feb 11, 2011

Science-based EU Rules Needed to Combat Fatigue

Today’s 2nd anniversary of the US Colgan Air accident, in which 50 people died near Buffalo, USA, is a tragic reminder that air crew fatigue can kill. Following this accident, the US Federal Aviation Authority acted decisively and issued, in Sept. 2010, its proposal for revised air crew fatigue rules – aimed at improving flight safety and based on scientific evidence and world-wide best practice.

A Big Step for Aviation Safety – In the Wrong Direction – EU Agency Publishes Inadequate Pilot Fatigue Rules –
Dec 20, 2010

Today, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published its proposal for EU rules to protect against the safety-risks associated with air crew fatigue, caused by long duty hours and short rest periods. Disregarding scientific evidence and designed to avoid costs to the airlines, these rules are well below the standards to be expected from a credible safety regulator. If not changed significantly, they will reduce safety standards currently in place in many EU countries – to the detriment of Europe’s travelling public.

ECA Supports our Spanish Member in the Quest for Scientifically based Fatigue Protection for Pilots
Dec 14, 2010
The ECA Spanish Member Association, SEPLA, is meeting representatives of the Spanish Authorities to discuss the final draft of a Spanish Royal Decree designed to prevent Pilot Fatigue.
Towards Global Standards for Pilot Training
Oct 26, 2010

Today pilot training experts from around the world unite in Paris to develop the IFALPA[1] Pilot Training Standards (IPTS). Operational pilots from Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania with a wealth of expertise on pilot training are committed to establish IPTS as the main standard for the future of pilot training.

European Airline Pilot Leaders Commit to Scientifically Derived EU Pilot Fatigue Regulations
Oct 15, 2010

Representatives of the pilots of all the airline companies in the 38 National Member Associations of ECA were invited to meet in Brussels, yesterday. They were briefed on the consultations on the EU’s future pilot Flight Time Limitations rules currently being carried out by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).