Pilot Groups Unite To Fight Single-Pilot Operations

Three of the world's largest pilot organizations have joined forces to fight the growing lobby to allow single-pilot operations in airliners. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), the European Cockpit Association (ECA) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), representing more than 250,000 airline pilots worldwide, plan to lobby regulators all over the world to reject the apparent move toward acceptance of one pilot on the flight deck. "Technology, no matter how sophisticated, is not a replacement for pilots on the flight deck," the group said.

Proponents argue that automated flight and navigation systems have advanced to the point that they are able to handle routine flight operations autonomously. The single pilot onboard would monitor the systems and take over if something goes wrong. The European Union is considering allowing single-pilot operations for cruise segments of flights in the next few years. In addition to removing one layer of safety redundancy, the pilot groups argue that the whole system revolves around have two sets of human eyes, ears and hands available. "Every aspect of your flight—the aircraft, its systems, the regulations, and standards that apply to the flight, and the procedures that pilots follow—is deliberately designed for a team working together on the flight deck."