Almost all German pilots have admitted to napping during flights due to exhaustion caused by staff shortages and overworking, a survey has found.
The Vereinigung Cockpit union surveyed more than 900 of its members and found that 93 per cent had napped on a flight in the past few months.
The union said that 12 per cent admitted to napping every flight, 44 per cent napped regularly, 33 per cent napped occasionally and 7 per cent could no longer count how often they had napped. Just 3 per cent napped as a one-off.
Katharina Dieseldorff, Vice President of the Cockpit Association, said: "Pilots report to us that they complete their missions despite being extremely fatigued. The reasons are tight schedules, staff shortages, and increasing operational pressure.
"Napping has long been the norm in German cockpits. What was originally intended as a short-term recovery measure has developed into a permanent remedy for structural overload.”
The union said that pilots were working in a corporate culture that had ignored the tiredness of its staff, which worsened even more in the summer months.
It said that it had tried to draw attention to the problem for years, along with other unions.
"A short nap is not critical in itself. However, a permanently exhausted cockpit crew poses a significant risk," Mrs Dieseldorff said.
The union mostly surveyed pilots from German airlines, more than half of which were from Lufthansa. It also surveyed 64 participants from Irish airline Ryanair and three from British airline easyJet.
A Lufthansa spokesperson said: “Lufthansa has a comprehensive set of rules and parameters for flight and duty plans to ensure sufficient rest and preparation for cockpit and cabin crew members and to adhere to the highest safety standards.
“On top of this, Controlled Rest on the flight deck is a preventive measure with clear policies and regulations regarding its usage. Its intent is to increase alertness and flight crew performance in the interest of safety.”
In the context of the survey, ‘napping’ referred to controlled rest periods, the union said, and not sleep during takeoff or landing.
Of those who had admitted to napping, 44 per cent said it was on short-haul flights, and 56 per cent said it was on long-haul flights.
The union said it demanded decisive action from airlines, authorities, and politicians. It has asked airlines to recognise fatigue as a safety factor, better monitor compliance with flight time limitations, and use a science-based Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) which is not solely driven by commercial interests.
Joji Waites, Head of Flight Safety at the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA), said: “In the post-Covid norm, pilots are working longer and harder than ever so it’s no surprise to hear that our German colleagues are raising concerns over fatigue, which is a genuine flight safety risk.”
