SAFETY FIRST !! Flying and Fatigue : don't mix !!

FIRST EUROPEAN ACTION DAY : 21st January 2003

The European Cockpit Association (ECA), which represents more than 31,000 professional airline pilots, is launching a first European wide Action Day in the context of its campaign to promote air transport safety.

European Transport Ministers are currently discussing a proposal from the European Parliament on the maximum number of duty hours for pilots. This proposal has been reviewed and completely rejected by Medical and Scientific Experts on Human Performance and Fatigue Related Risk and if adopted by decision-makers in Brussels, the safety of the travelling Public could be put at serious risk.

In this context, the ECA membership, supported by the entire worldwide pilot community, has unanimously rejected this proposal as being UNSAFE.

This first day of action will see national Pilot Associations distributing information leaflets (see www.eca-cockpit.com )to the travelling public, publishing local newspaper notices, organising press conferences and contacting national aviation authorities. In Italy, where there is an attempt to implement in advance this proposed legislation on flying time limits, a strike actions of 4 hours will be taken.

European pilots will continue to press the European Transport Ministers to adopt a scientific and medical based approach to the harmonisation of flying hours for European pilots, and this first day of action may be followed by other forms of action.

Note to the editor
For any information please contact ECA at eca@eca.skynet.be or +32.2.705.32.93 - +497.477.497 (Giancarlo Crivellaro, General Secretary)

Voor communicatie over dit persbericht kunt u contact op nemen met het secretariaat van de VNV