Airlines
Pilots Say ‘Broken’ Scheduling Processes Leading to Fatigue
Unions say a surge in pilot fatigue reports over the summer will reoccur when weather worsens and traffic spikes during the next holiday season.
Pilot union representatives say schedules that leave little buffer against duty time limits have led to an inordinate number of fatigue calls. (Photo: Corbis)
Pilot union representatives say schedules that leave little buffer against duty time limits have led to an inordinate number of fatigue calls. (Photo: Corbis)

While airlines in the U.S. and Europe stretched crewmembers to their limits as they struggled to maintain aggressive timetables over the summer, reports of an Ethiopian Airlines captain and first officer both falling asleep during a flight from Khartoum to Addis Ababa served as a timely reminder of the dangers of fatigue in the cockpit. Although the pilots managed to land safely after a cockpit alarm sounded indicating the autopilot disconnected, the August 15 incident could become emblematic of a wider concern voiced by pilot unions around the world.