Do Pilots Have Enough Layover Time - Research Paper Example

 Do Pilots have Enough Layover Time? Given the increasing number of aviation accidents today, the focus has shifted from structural malfunction as the major cause of aviation accidents to the fact that human factors also contribute substantially to accidents. Human factors that may cause aviation accidents include improper communication, lack of training, negligence, language error, fatigue, and failure to follow manufacturers’ instructions properly. However, increasing emphasis is on the issue of fatigue especially among pilots that result from lack of enough layover time. Layover time is the period of rest or waiting taken by pilots, as well as cabin crews before taking a further flight in a trip. Pilots are required to take not less than 10 hours of layover time before embarking into another journey, but reality check reveals that this is only in theory. Both airlines and pilots often fail to violate this requirement for several reasons including saving money and the need to reach home faster. Similarly, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) tasked with the responsibility of creating policies that promote safety in the entire aviation industry seem to do little to ensure that parties in the industry comply with all the requirements and policies of aviation operations.Pilots do not have enough layover time because of work overload, and this make them suffer from jetlag and fatigue. Though airlines fight against enough rest time for pilots because they want to save money, it is necessary for the airlines and government legislature to ensure that pilots have enough rest for safety purposes. Most airlines require pilots to work for long hours leaving them with less time for rest. Pilots are required to fly for only 8 hours a day and then rest for ten hours. However, the airlines have a way of bending this rule to fit their needs (Personal 4). For instance, If a pilot flies for 8 hours, and then had a rest for another 10 hours. The airline will probably make this person fly the return flight, which in that case makes him fly for more than he/she should fly in one day. In turn, this lays a lot of pressure on the pilots and workload compared to the rest time that they have, and thus, they develop fatigue. Likewise, long-haul airline pilots go through excessive work hours, which make them experience elevated levels of fatigue, also due to circadian misalignment of wake and sleep periods. Additionally, most airlines give pilots only 1-3 days off between flights as the layover time to recover from the previous journey. Evidently, it takes longer than this to get over jetlag that pilots develop during the flights, especially the long flights. Jetlagreferred in medical terms as desynchronosis or circadian dysrhythmia, is a physiological manifestation, which occurs from variations to the circadian rhythms of the body due to rapid long-distance transmeridian travel on high-speed aircraft. It is safe for pilots to get over jetlag before their next flight otherwise they would develop fatigue that may affect their vision and reasoning during the flight. Moreover, some pilots favor long layovers as it maximizes recovery and preparation time. Therefore, airlines and FAA should ensure that pilots get enough time to recover before they embark on the next flight. Though FAA requirement indicates that pilots should have at least 10 hours of rest time, this time is not enough for pilots to rest. Initially, the minimum rest time for pilots was 8 hours, but FAA recently changed it to 10 hours. Consequently, it is required for the pilot to have eight hours of uninterrupted sleep within the ten hours rest time. That leaves the pilot two hours only to pick up his luggage from the baggage claim area, go through customs, transport from the airport to the hotel, eat, shower, go back to the airport, and prepare for the next flight.This reveals that layover time does not necessary mean a period for pilots to sleep. It involves close flight procedures, picking up luggage, taking the shuttle to the hotel, having something to eat, taking the shuttle back to the airport, and doing preparation for the next flight. Thus, pilots lose half of their assigned rest time in custom, baggage claim, and driving from/to the hotel, which leaves them with less to be mentally ready for the next flight.Besides the fact that the 10-hour provision is not adequate, FAA also fails to distinguish whether the 8 hours is required for night or daytime sleep.Night sleep has been proven by many studies that it is healthier. Unlike night sleep, day sleep has negative health outcome and it has proven that it disrupts gene activity even more than not having adequate sleep (WebMD News 2). Thus, it should not be assumed that day sleep and night sleep have the same outcome on pilots. FAA is reluctant to enforce aviation policies and regulations to the airlines to enhance pilots’ safety, as well as the passengers. Instead, their regulations appear to be in favor to airlines than pilots.This creates a loophole in the aviation industry where airlines misuse and exploit pilots for big profits, and at the expenses of passengers’ lives.For example, airlines want to save money and not hire more pilots and also save money from lay over hotels. Additionally, airlines do not want to waste more time of their pilot and use them while they can. It benefits the airlines to overwork pilots because saving money if their main goal even if they have to look the other way when it comes to the safety of passengers. This is ethically and morally wrong because means putting the lives of hundreds of innocent passengers at risk of accident. In addition, some pilots have introduced aircrafts that require flying up to 20 hours non-stop. A good example isan introduction of Airbus 380 and Boeing 777 that require 20 hours of non-stop flight. The flights require pilots to have 24-hour rest prior to the journey, 48-hour layover, and 24-hour rest period after flying (Negroni 2).Regardless, the requirements are not adequate and still violate the provision that pilots should only fly for 8 hours a day, and begs the question of whether pilot’s rest time is in the agenda of the airlines.Clearly, for airlines money comes first before pilots’ welfare and safety of passengers. Likewise, pilots are also partly to blame for thelack of enough rest time. Firstly, pilots also try to have shorter rest because they want to go back home. Secondly, some pilots choose short layovers because it reduces both the length of the trip, and degree to which the body clock adjusts from 'home time' to the layover time zone. Thirdly, other pilots usually drink alcohol in their layovertime, and they do not have enough time to recover from ahangover. Lastly, pilots are advised to sleepbased on their destination time, but most of them sleep on their local time. Failure to get enough rest causes fatigue, which is a known cause of most aircraft crashes. 60% to 80% of the total aviation and military accidents in US are caused by human error (Wiegmann&Shappell 70). Human error involves bad decision making, loss of situational awareness, and false information.All these factors have one thing in common, fatigue. Moreover, pilots with a short layover have a significantly slower response speed than pilot with longer layover time. Other people may argue that the Airlines cannot extend layover time because there is a pilot shortage, high demand on transporting by airplane, and it costs more money. Additionally, they say that fatigue is overrated, and pilots want to have shorter layover time because they look for the quickest way to go back home. Moreover, the airlines are following the rules of the FAA so why change them. However, fatigue is a reality, and there is evidence to prove that it is the leading human factor that cause aviation accidents. Hence, it is essential to understand that safety is mandatory and not a matter of debate. More so, when it comes to lives of passengers, safety should be a priority both for the airlines, pilots, and FAA. If airlines fail to ensure safety of passengers and an accident happen, they will lose all that money that they are trying to save by limiting layover and rest time for pilots (Lamond, Nicole, et al.1289)Accordingly, it is ion the interest of the whole industry to ensure that pilots have enough rest so as to avoid unnecessary accidents. Pilots need to be in good shape and sound mind to fly. Having enough rest is the only way to achieve this, and consequently, there are several benefits that can be derived from this: it will guarantee that pilots’ performance is 100% proficient, prevent fatigue, decrease number of airplane crashes, save lives of innocent passengers, and eventually create an opportunity for more jobs for future pilots.As a result, The FAA agency should enforce the law over commercial airlines to insure safety of passengers by allowing pilots enough rest time. Another solution is to have asmall cabin at the airplane for the crew to havea rest. Delta airline was an example of providing a cabin with four beds and two business class seats.This should give the second crew enough time to rest before reaching their destination and therefore less layovertime. Airlines could also hire more pilots to provide more rest time for their crew and keep their business going at the same time. Pilots are only humans like any other person who needs proper treatment and enough rest to function well and keep alert. More so, they hold one of the most delicate occupation in the world, which makes them more vulnerable if they are denied enough rest. Overworking pilots and giving them short rest time make pilots develop fatigue and increase chances of aviation accidents, as well as loss of lives. Thus, for safer flights, pilots need more rest time. FAA has the responsibility to enforce new rules concerning safety measures and follow up to confirm that all airlines comply with the safety policies. Airlines should also comply with the extended layover time; more jobs will be offer to future pilots and most importantly the will help for a safer aviation industry.Money ought not to be the driving force in the aviation industry, but safety of both passengers and the cabin crew. Works Cited Read More