After years of political and technical discussions, Europe is facing a ‘now or never’ decision on Flight Time Limitations for pilots & cabin crew. Either now the proposed rules will be amended in line with scientific advice and medical expertise, or Europe will end up with rules, which are a downward harmonisation across European Member States and jeopardise safety.

In the past few weeks, a series of events have brought the issue to the fore of European pilots’ minds. A critical report by the UK Parliament Transport Committee raised concerns over FTL rules and requested the EU Commission to address a number of issues in the proposal. Shortly after, UK media reported about the serious implications of aircrew fatigue and pilots sleeping at controls. And most recently, on 30 Sept, the European Parliament Transport Committee voted in favour of a resolution to reject the current proposal of the European Commission (EC). This decisive vote revealed that a large majority of the Parliamentarians find the current proposal below the scientific and medical recommendations for safe flight limits. The rejection is a clear sign that those rules are unacceptable for the EU Parliamentarians and is also indicative of the upcoming vote in EP Plenary on 9 Oct.

Our efforts to make sure that the new rules are scientifically-based and to push for the highest levels of safety have been wrongfully perceived by some as an effort to undermine the creation of these new rules. In the past months, we have been accused of carrying out a "disinformation campaign on Flight Time Limitations", scaremongering, manipulation and misinformation and spreading "scare stories and false claims". If pushing for establishing the scientific truth and setting the facts straight is wrong, then let it be. But while the Commission continues to make its case for fast adoption of the proposed flawed FTL rules, pilots will be deemed to continue our calls for safe & science-based Flight Time Limitations! 

We call on all members of the European Parliament to follow the lead of the Transport Committee and vote against this proposal on 9 Oct. This will give a clear signal to the European Commissioner Siim Kalas that aviation stakeholders – including EASA and European airlines – should live up to their promises and declarations and keep aviation safety as paramount across Europe!

by Nico Voorbach