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Pilot fatigue is not being taken seriously by commercial airlines

As pressure increases on airlines to improve their punctuality records, there are concerns that safety is being jeopardised in the pursuit to reduce flight delays. 
 
Each year, over 300 million pounds in flight delay compensation goes unclaimed. Legal experts such as Flight-Delayed.co.uk have a 98% win record when getting passenger the flight delay compensation they are legally entitled to. 
 
A new survey has revealed that pilot fatigue is an issue that is not being properly addressed and it has been claimed that the issue is not being taken seriously because airlines are concerned at the number of flight delays. 
 
The concerns have been raised through the survey that was conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science and is the biggest aviation safety study in Europe to date. 
 
Although the general consensus from pilots in Europe is that safety regulations are adhered to, the perception changes depending on the type of company the pilot is working for. 
 
The study found that the issue of pilot fatigue was a particular concern with low-cost commercial carriers and cargo specialists. 
 
Earlier this year, the British Association of Airline Pilots warned that some airlines have been forcing their pilots to work in excess of 20-hour shifts. This is a growing concern for the industry moving forward. 
 
The definition of fatigue used by the International Civil Aviation Organization is as follows: “a physiological state of reduced mental or physical performance capability resulting from sleep loss or extended wakefulness, circadian phase, or workload”.  
 
80% of those surveyed stated that they were encouraged by their companies to report any misgivings that they have in regards to safety.  The survey is a decent representation of pilots' concerns about safety. It represented 14% of all active commercial airline pilots in Europe.
 
If you have had a flight delay within the last 6 years, contact Flight-Delayed.co.uk.
 
Written by: Team Flight-delayed