Pilot fatigue survey finds most European aviators suffer microsleeps

Most European airline pilots have experienced microsleeps while flying because of overwork, according to a survey of 7,200 pilots commissioned by the European Cockpit Association, which found 77% had at least one episode in the four weeks before taking part.

The association said its findings showed insufficient rest to prevent cumulative fatigue, with flight duties sometimes extending beyond legal maximums, and warned that fatigue was underreported across the industry because pilots feared punitive responses from airlines if they flagged it. The problem was particularly acute at low-cost carriers, and especially pronounced in Ireland and Malta, the survey found.

Just 37% of pilots said they report themselves unfit when fatigued, while 24% said they usually kept flying instead, and almost two in five said they feared punishment or retaliation for reporting fatigue, according to the survey.

One commercial pilot, who was not named, told the Daily Mirror he had fallen asleep in the cockpit many times. He said microsleeps could last from a few seconds to two or three minutes and that they impaired judgment, adding that he believed the issue went unaddressed because no aircraft had crashed as a result.

Association president Captain Tanja Harter said the figures were a clear wake-up call for airlines, authorities and the EU Aviation Safety Agency, calling for change in how Europe handles pilot fatigue. The British Airline Pilots Association backed the call, with its flight-safety director Joji Waites saying safety margins cannot hold if pilots are routinely scheduled to the limits of their duty hours.