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Would YOU be happy flying in a plane with only one pilot at the controls? Pilots' union launches campaign to warn against Airbus push to replace humans in the cockpit with automation
Would you feel at ease on a passenger plane with only one pilot at the controls?
Aircraft manufacturers and airlines are hoping passengers will come around to the idea – because they're keen for a new era of flying to begin in which airlines will have only one pilot in the cockpit during the cruise phase of the flight.
Passengers have not warmed to the idea, and nor has the piloting community, with the European Cockpit Association spreading awareness about the push for one-pilot flight decks via a new advertising campaign.
A series of ads will appear between 20 and 27 July at Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Belgium, warning passengers that reducing the number of pilots in the flight deck once a plane has taken off is a safety risk – tantamount to flying with no pilots at all.
The posters are part of the 'OneMeansNone' campaign, which warns passengers that 'flying with just one pilot is like flying on a pilotless flight'.
The European Cockpit Association is spreading awareness about the push for one-pilot flight decks via a new advertising campaign
The ECA continues: 'Planes, especially large commercial ones, require multiple pilots for safe flying. Flight safety relies on a team of pilots sharing tasks and working together.
'Their roles include flying the plane, monitoring the flight, managing automation, and addressing any risks in a complex and changing environment. If a pilot becomes incapacitated or unwell, there would be no one else in the cockpit to swiftly take control. Reduced Crew Operations (RCO) are a gamble with your safety.'
It adds: 'Airlines are pushing to replace pilots with automation to reduce personnel costs and possibly increase their profits.'
Captain Otjan de Bruijn, ECA President, said: 'We hope this campaign is a conversation starter, showing in a graphic way just why we need at least two pilots in the cockpit.
'Faced with the prospect of Reduced Crew Operations, both pilots and the passengers are obviously on the side of safety.
'A plane has multiple backups – two engines, two generators – for a reason. One pilot is simply not enough to address emergencies and ensure that all flight aspects are in order.
'We cannot let airlines' commercial interests get in the way of passenger safety.'
Captain Otjan de Bruijn, ECA President, said: 'A plane has multiple backups – two engines, two generators – for a reason. One pilot is simply not enough to address emergencies and ensure that all flight aspects are in order.' Above - stock image
Who is pushing for one-pilot flights?
Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways have all expressed an interest, but with passenger buy-in and acceptance low, they're not shouting from the rooftops about it.
The main push is coming from manufacturers Airbus and Dassault.
The ECA says: 'Currently, regulatory and industry standards mandate the necessity of having two pilots at the controls of a large commercial plane.
'However, manufacturers such as Airbus and Dassault are actively pursuing the elimination of one pilot from the flight deck during the cruise phase.
'This proposal, also known as "extended Minimum Crew Operations" (eMCO), is being evaluated by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Its approval would lead to significantly diminished flight safety, with one pilot leaving the flight deck for several hours during the cruise phase, while the other remains at the controls.'
Airbus argues that one pilot in the cockpit will mean more rest for pilots and smoother operations.
It states: 'Extended Minimum Crew Operations enables the flight crew to better organise their presence in the cockpit during the cruise phase, thanks to additional automated functions. Pilots can thus achieve a better balance between working and resting time on long-range flights.'
Airbus is keen to push eMCO for the A350, which Christophe Cail, operational advisor to head of product safety and test pilot at Airbus, told Aviation News, is 'the only platform that allows for this technology - there is no other aircraft that can support this evolution'.