President, Congress, Zohra Francis, Acting General Secretary, BALPA.

BALPA wholeheartedly supports this motion

BALPA members would recognise many of the contributary factors identified by previous speakers.

Workforce shortages, long hours, poor or short notice shift rosters that change frequently and insufficient recovery time are contributors.

I’m going to use my time today to share the perspective of BALPA members on this issue.

Managing fatigue risk is accepted as critical to flight safety. Pilots play a key part in this safety conscious environment.

But we have seen, with the increased demand for flights, tighter schedules and the drive for profits , putting more pressure on pilots and increasing the likelihood of fatigue.

Legislation on Flight and duty Time Limitations determine the maximum time that pilots can fly and work, but these rules are being pushed to their limits, viewed as targets to be achieved by airlines.

This is in contrast to what they should be. They should be absolute maximums, used in exceptional circumstances.

These rules and how they can be interpreted are no longer fit for purpose.

Legislation needs to reflect more clearly the risks of fatigue.

BALPA welcomes the work of the Civil Aviation Authority and we’re currently working with the CAA on the ongoing review on these Flight Time Limitation Regulations.

We are working with our members to build an accurate picture of their experiences and we will to continue to build the case for change.

But in addition to what is currently classed as working time, in reality a Pilot’s day often extends by unsocial hours, meaning that they have to travel to work by car. This is unavoidable and often the most convenient and efficient mode of transport.

But they then have to park their car in designated car parking spots, sometimes these are full. They then get on a shuttle bus to terminals which can be infrequent and overcrowded.

Once pilots arrive at the terminal they then have to face the delays of security and other areas.

Over the last number of years we have seen reporting points moved closer to the aircraft. The reporting point is when a shift officially starts. This forces pilots to absorb more and more of their time and increases the pressure on their day. This time is outside of the pilots’ control and should be included in any good fatigue risk management and stress risk assessment.

All of this means that an already grueling working day is extended and rest periods can become compressed.

Fatigue is a systemic workplace hazard. It needs to be recognised as a safety issue.

Please support this motion.