A survey of 7,200 pilots has found that 77% experienced at least one microsleep while operating an aircraft in the four weeks before taking part, raising concerns about cockpit exhaustion.
The report, commissioned by the European Cockpit Association (ECA), warned of excessive workloads, insufficient rest and fears of punishment for reporting fatigue. Ireland and Malta were highlighted as countries where the problem was particularly severe, with concerns also raised about budget airlines.
Fatigue underreported across industry
The ECA warned of "insufficient rest to prevent cumulative fatigue" and flight duties extending "beyond legal maximums". It also said fatigue was "underreported across the industry".
"Airlines' reporting systems are often seen as neither effective nor trusted, and a substantial share of pilots fly fatigued because of fear of a punitive reaction from their airline," the report noted.
One commercial airline pilot, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Mirror he had fallen asleep in the cockpit "many times".
Pilot describes microsleeps
"I have the responsibility of 234 souls, and I can legally work up to 14 hours straight, not including the repositioning. But after many years I realised nobody cares because, at the end of the day, no airplanes are falling from the sky," he said.
"After many nights in-flight, you experience microsleeps from a few seconds up to two to three minutes, but you do not realise and it's subtle because you might seem to be aware, but you are technically sleeping. It impairs your situational awareness and your judgment ability. But...as I said, nobody cares."
Only 37% of respondents said they report themselves unfit to fly when fatigued, while 24% said they usually continue flying rather than report themselves unfit. Almost two in five feared punishment or a "retaliatory response" if they reported fatigue.
Call for action from regulators
ECA president Captain Tanja Harter called for action from airlines and regulators.
She said: "The numbers in this report – and the lack of any meaningful improvement over the past three years – are a clear wake-up call for airlines, authorities and the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Something must change in the way Europe deals with pilot fatigue."
The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) also described the findings as worrying and urged action. Joji Waites, BALPA director of flight safety, policy and regulation, said: "The ECA's survey of almost 7,200 pilots is a clear safety signal. That 24% of pilots usually continue flying rather than report themselves unfit due to fatigue is a concern. Aviation is the safest mode of transport through pilots' expertise and professionalism in tandem with other aviation professionals; however, fatigue remains one of the most significant threats. Safety margins cannot hold if pilots are routinely rostered to the upper limits of their flight and duty time limitations (FTL).
"With almost half of pilots fearing repercussions for reporting fatigue, we fully support ECA's call for EASA to strengthen fatigue rules and enforce non-punitive reporting and responsible calls on the use of commander's discretion."
BALPA said it is still running its Realtime fatigue app to collect actionable intelligence on UK pilot fatigue, which will be fed into the CAA's ongoing FTL review.
