Night flights controversy: EASA brushes-off scientific advice
24/06/2013_ http://www.dead-tired.eu/press-corner/news/night-flights-controversy-easa-brushes-scientific-advice

Night flights of more than 10hrs are accompanied by critically high levels of fatigue, which impair the ability to operate an aircraft safely. This fact is undisputed ever since the early 90s across the scientific community. Yet, with deliberate disregard to this scientific consensus the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) tried to dismiss this fact and defend its controversial proposal for over 11hrs of night flying during a Public Hearing in the EU Parliament.

On 18 June, in the presence of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), representatives of airlines, aircrews, EU Commission, UK CAA, EASA and scientific fatigue experts expressed their views and concerns about the new proposal for Flight Time Limitations in Europe.

While EASA and the EU Commission tried to dismiss any doubt about the scientific basis of the proposed rules, they offered little explanation as to why numerous studies and expert opinion that recommend a limit of 10hrs at night have been largely ignored. “Both EASA and the Commission have shown an extraordinary resistance to independent external scientific advice”, said Jon Horne, ECA Professional Affairs Director, who represented European pilots at the Hearing.

Dr. Gundel, speaking on behalf of scientific fatigue experts, stressed that night flights risk being accompanied by high fatigue levels and reiterated that scientists are unanimous in their advice. He specifically warned that if MEPs vote in favour of EASA’s proposed 11hrs limit, they would be “voting against the opinion of scientific experts”.

This has been echoed by MSc. Mick Spencer, another well-known scientist who contributed to several expert reports commissioned by EASA. In an interview for Danish TV, Mr. Spencer said that “The regulator is taking enormous amount of responsibility onto itself by going up to 11hrs against the advice of independent scientists. If you reject our concerns then make it clear that this is what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. And you take full responsibility for that”.

Following the Hearing, ECA President Nico Voorbach urged EU decision-makers to play with open cards: “…either they follow the advice of independent scientists and propose safe rules; or they reject their recommendations and push a text with serious safety loopholes. But then they must take full responsibility and face liability claims if an accident happens”.

YouTube video: Dr. Alexander Gundel speaking at the FTL Hearing

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MEPs discuss new EU limits on pilots' working hours
Employment policy − 21-06-2013 - 11:04

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20130617STO12380/html/MEPs-discuss-new-EU-limits-on-pilots'-working-hours
There should be new limits on how long pilots can fly and be on duty, according to the European Aviation Safety Agency

How much rest do pilots need to ensure safety in the air? The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has proposed EU-wide rules setting limits on how long pilots could fly and be on duty. The Commission will use the plans as the basis of its own proposal. On 18 June the EP's transport committee consulted representatives of pilots, airlines and aviation authorities on the issue of tired pilots, the new rules and passenger safety. However, experts disagreed about what the optimum limits should be.

What the experts said

EASA recommends reducing the flight duty period at night to 11 hours, down from the current 11 hours and 45 minutes. Pilots want a limit of 10 hours. Jon Horne, from the European Cockpit Association (ECA), said the EASA proposal ignored scientific advice, was too complex and not strict enough.If you included actual flying, preparations and standby time, the proposal would require crew to land a plane after a working day of up to 22 hours, Mr Horne said, which is why he urged an 18-hour limit.
Jean-Marc Cluzeau, representing EASA, defended the proposal: "By taking a holistic approach, our conclusion was that 11 hours flight duty at night plus additional rest in the cases of jet lag, early starts and late arrivals, also additional weekly rest and implementation of fatigue risk management principles, are at least as safe as the flight duty of 10 hours."

Vincent De Vroey, from the Association of European Airlines (AEA), added: "Based on this proposal Europe will continue to have one of the strictest flight time limitation rules in the world, even stricter than the national rules in many European countries."

How MEPs reacted

Saïd El Khadraou, a Belgian member of the S&D group who is one of two MEPs responsible for steering the proposals through Parliament, said: "We would prefer to have something on the table that is more or less acceptable by everybody."

Brian Simpson, a British member of the S&D group who is the chair of the transport committee, stressed: "There is no in-between. It's either the old plan or the new plan. That's the choice that Parliament has when we get the Commission's proposal."

Georges Bach also raised concerns over the new plans. The Luxembourg member of the EPP group said: "I hope that in its proposal the Commission won't put the profits of airlines that want to cut staff costs ahead of passenger safety."

Must see(video): Highlights from the Flight Time Limitations EU Hearing

http://www.aex.ru/news/2013/6/25/107274/

25 июня, AEX.RU – Сургутской транспортной прокуратурой проведена проверка исполнения законодательства о защите прав пассажиров на воздушном транспорте, сообщает пресс-служба Уральской транспортной прокуратуры (УТП).

«Установлено, что, вопреки требованиям Воздушного кодекса Российской Федерации, 03.07.2012 при подготовке воздушного судна Boeing 737 (ОАО «Авиакомания «ЮТэйр») к рейсу по маршруту «Сургут - Москва (Домодедово)», командир воздушного судна, выявив неработающие электронные индикаторы положения самолета, не произвел запись в бортовом журнале об обнаруженных дефектах. Воздушное судно было заменено на резервное», - отметили в прокуратуре.

В результате самолет принят на техническое обслуживание без информации о наличии дефектов.

В целях устранения выявленных нарушений транспортным прокурором генеральному директору авиакомпании внесено представление, по результатам рассмотрения которого командир воздушного судна привлечен к дисциплинарной ответственности, пояснили в УТП.