German pilots have admitted to napping during flights in a new survey, exposing a “worrying reality” amid staff shortages and operational pressure.
A survey of 900 German pilots, carried out by the trade union Vereinigung Cockpit Association (VC), found that 93 per cent of respondents admitted to napping during flights in the past few months.
On short-haul flights, 44 per cent reported they took a nap, while the number is over half at 56 per cent on long-haul flights.
For three out of four pilots (74 per cent), napping is now a standard practice on flights, the survey found. VC added that the survey is “non-representative”, meaning the responses were voluntary does not reflect a statistically representative sample of all pilots in Germany.
Napping, in this instance, refers to controlled rest periods during the flight, meaning the nap breaks are taken on purpose rather than accidentally falling asleep. VC said that naps take place in the cruise phase of the flight, and not during takeoff and landing.
It is not unheard of for pilots to take turns napping during flights, with some countries allowing pilots to sleep in the cockpit. Places like the United States, however, forbid this, and if a nap is required, the flight crew must report to a designated rest area.
Depending on the plane and the airline, flight crew have access to private crew rest compartments found above or below the passenger cabin on long-haul flights.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) refers to a regulation whereby “controlled rest” can be used to manage unexpected fatigue, if organised by the commander and if workload permits. These short rests cannot be considered part of a rest period, which is mandatory for flight crew before they are legally allowed to work another round of shifts. The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority also cites the same regulation.
However, VC’s survey claims that “napping in the cockpit is no longer a marginal phenomenon, but a widespread reality”.
The survey found 44 per cent of the pilots took naps regularly, 12 per cent say they do it every flight and seven per cent said they can no longer count the frequency.
On the other end of the spectrum, 33 per cent of participating pilots say they nap occasionally, and only three per cent said it was a one-time occurrence.
"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," explains Katharina Dieseldorff, vice president of VC.
She explained that the situation worsens in the summer months. "Pilots report to us that they complete their missions despite being extremely fatigued. The reasons are tight schedules, staff shortages, and increasing operational pressure."
VC has called for airlines to take fatigue more seriously as a safety factor and not to regularly push the flight time limitations to the maximum.
"A short nap is not critical in itself. However, a permanently exhausted cockpit crew poses a significant risk," Ms Dieseldorff added.
Out of the more than 900 pilots involved in the survey, 481 were from Lufthansa, with pilots from four Lufthansa subsidiaries and eight other airlines.
Lufthansa said in a statement it 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.”
Condor, which had 71 of their pilots take part in the survey, said it “always complies with all applicable legal requirements” and adds that “planned short breaks for pilots are an officially approved and strictly regulated procedure that supports flight safety.”
“The safety of all guests and crew members is always Condor’s highest priority.”
The Independent has contacted all airlines mentioned in the survey.
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