Nearly half UK pilots admit to falling asleep while flying, survey finds

Nearly half UK pilots admit to falling asleep while flying, survey finds

ALMOST half the pilots in Britain have admitted to falling asleep while flying, according to a survey.

And if you thought that was alarming, the situation gets a whole lot worse: A third of those who confessed to dozing off have woken up to find their co-pilot also sleeping, UK’s Daily Mail reports.

The survey by the British Airline Pilot’s Association (BALPA) found that 43 per cent of those questioned have fallen asleep while flying at some point in their career.

The findings come after pilots voiced concerns over EU proposals to relax British flying rules, allowing pilots and crew to take on more frequent and longer shifts.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has proposed to standardise safety rules across Europe, despite BALPA’s claims that they fall short of British aviation practice.

Pilots say passengers’ lives will be at risk if regulations allowing them to land a plane after up to 22 hours without sleep are approved.

BALPA general secretary Jim McAuslan said the planned changes are “contrary to scientific advice” and would let pilots work seven consecutive early-start shifts. He said such conditions are “desperately fatiguing”.

Chair of the House of Commons transport committee Louise Ellman said the Government had noted the pilots’ protests and was looking at it from a public safety point of view.