ECA has invited thousands of pilots in Europe to participate in a survey on fatigue which ends on September 4th. Louise Woygnet is Aviation Safety Coordinator at ECA, and Fagbladet Luftfart has asked her five questions about fatigue and how ECA is going to use the survey results going forward.
How come ECA is launching your fatigue campaign now?
We launched our first fatigue survey in 2023, which had a significant impact in the media and prompted attention from EASA. With this new survey, we want to understand where we stand today, particularly during the summer period, when operational pressures and fatigue can be especially acute.
We also want to assess whether the findings of the 2023 survey have translated into concrete measures and improvements. The objective is not only to compare the data and see whether the situation has improved, but also to gather more evidence than we did in 2023 to support our discussions with EASA.
How does Commander’s Discretion affect fatigue?
When used exceptionally and appropriately, Commander’s Discretion should have a limited and temporary impact on crew fatigue, from which crews can normally recover.
The problem arises when Commander’s Discretion to extend the duty is no longer used as an exceptional measure but becomes a routine operational tool. This is particularly concerning during the summer period, when some operators may plan their rosters with the expectation that commanders will regularly use their discretion to extend duties.
The recurrent use of Commander’s Discretion to extend the duty can have a significant impact on crews’ cognitive abilities and contribute to cumulative fatigue over a relatively short period. If extensions become a recurring trend, crews may not have sufficient time to recover between duties.
How should captains use Commander’s Discretion correctly?
First and foremost, Commander’s Discretion is a safety tool, not an operational tool for absorbing delays or protecting the schedule. Extending a duty through Commander’s Discretion is an exceptional measure and should only be used when all applicable conditions are met.
At the same time, Commander’s Discretion can also work in the opposite direction where unforeseen circumstances could lead to severe fatigue, the commander shall reduce the actual flight duty period and/or increase the rest period in order to eliminate any detrimental effect on flight safety.
The decision should therefore always be based on the actual circumstances and the crew’s fitness to operate, not on internal or external pressure.
What is ECA going to do moving forward after you get the survey results?
The main objective is to gather robust data and evidence that can be brought to EASA.
If the new survey confirms the findings of our 2023 survey, we will use this evidence to call for concrete measures to mitigate fatigue and address the underlying factors contributing to it.
So far, institutions have been reluctant to take sufficiently strong action. We hope that the new data will provide an evidence base that is difficult to ignore and act as an eye-opener for decision makers. The objective is ultimately to move from awareness and discussion towards concrete measures that improve the situation for pilots across Europe.
Which success criterias have you set for the fatigue survey?
We have several success criteria.
One is regarding participation. We want to achieve a strong overall response rate and gathering as many responses as possible.
Another is geographical distribution and representation. We wish to ensure that responses come from a broad range of European countries, operators and pilot groups, so that the results provide a representative picture of the situation.
And lastly, it’s about the quality of the data. Gathering robust evidence that gives us a clear and reliable picture of fatigue among pilots in Europe and allows us to compare the situation with the findings of the 2023 survey.
However, the ultimate measure of success goes beyond the survey itself. Three years from now, success will mean not only greater awareness of pilot fatigue, but a measurable improvement in the situation on the ground as a result of concrete measures taken by decision makers and operators.
The ECA fatigue survey ends on Friday, September 4th.
Click the link to participate, it takes five minutes to finish: https://survey.eurocockpit.eu/zs/5gD6YV
