Proposals for commercial planes to operate with one pilot shelved after critical EU report | Air transport

The proposals of commercial aircraft operating with only one pilot in the cockpit were put on ice after arguing that a report for the European regulator would make flying more dangerous.

A three -year research project on “Expanded Minimum Mürettebat Operations olan assigned by the EU Aviation Security Agency (EASA) found that there is not enough evidence that flying with a single pilot could be as safe as two people despite progress in technology.

The decision was welcomed by the pilot groups who campaign against the potential changes in the rules.

Although airlines and manufacturers have not been publicly explained to the pilot, arrangements for existing cockpit design and maximum flight times are three or four on long -distance flights.

. EASA REPORT With less crew “an equivalent security level [with] The existing two crew operations cannot be shown sufficiently. ”This is even applied to scenarios where two pilots are in the cockpit for departure and landing, but a common pilot can be heard as a plane in autopilot.

The EASA report said: “Before investigating the feasibility of such operational concepts, the development of cockpit technology and more research will be needed.”

He emphasized problems such as “Pilot Never -Fatigue Monitoring, Fatigue and Drowsiness, Sleep Atalat” and cross controls by two pilots working together.

The report said that it may have the potential to identify the basis of new operational concepts ”, but it would need a solution to prevent security threats”.

It was difficult to solve the safety of the cockpit: To prevent the entrance, reinforced doors were introduced after 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. However, on the 2015 Germanwings plane, Crash used the locked door to keep the captain away from the flight deck.

The European Cockpit Association, representing the pilot trade unions in Europe, said that the report is a “reality control ve and welcomed the security concerns as independent of confirmation. In the campaigns, he warned that aircraft manufacturers and airlines forced them to flight with only one pilot in controls.

“The truth is that,“ The truth is that manufacturers and avionic developers continue to participate deeply with advancing technologies aiming to remove a pilot from the cockpit. This EASA study offers a clear reality control over the security case. The results are still very important behind the basic motivation behind the print for reduced daring operations.

Airbus, Airbus, said that he is constantly looking for ways to improve and advance the product range to improve security, productivity and performance ”.

“For a predictable future, this means that this means to have a well -rested and competent human pilot under the command of a solid and flexible system, including appropriate automation. We believe that pilots will remain in the heart of the operations and the automation can play an important role by reducing the workload.”

Easa said there was no timeline to change the rules. A spokesman said that the agency has always considered single pilot operations as “extremely complex and unpredictable in the next decade”.

An intelligent cockpit said, “He said that he could have the potential to form the basis of new operational concepts such as expanded minimum crew operations.

The EASA report was published after Air India Crash, who gave new fears about aviation security and role of pilots in the prevention or contribution of accidents.

Martin Chalk, a former pilot and former pilots Association Balpa Secretary General, said, “When two pilots do not open the Air India accident openly, this is a human factors problem, if a single pilot will certainly not help. And if there are a mental health, it is the worst thing you can spend on cockpit.

Global Airlines Trade Organ IATA spokesman added that “he did not see significant demands or accelerations for single pilot operations in commercial aviation”: “Today, flying aircraft were designed and certified for two pilot operations. Most of these aircraft will remain in service by strengthening the level of constant relevance of the two pilot models.”