The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), a global federation of pilot associations, is urging operators and regulators not to let prolonged conflict-zone flying become treated as routine. In a position paper issued Sunday, the group said the passage of time does not reduce the operational complexity tied to threats, reroutes, airspace instability and navigation interference, and warned that repeated uneventful flights can create a false sense that the risk is under control.
The paper comes as European regulators have also warned recently that conflict-related airspace restrictions in the Middle East are narrowing available corridors and increasing operational risk by concentrating traffic into fewer usable routes. IFALPA said one of the central hazards in that environment is the normalization of abnormal operations, where repeated flights without a serious event can create the impression that the risk is adequately controlled. The group said those conditions can degrade pilot performance through hypervigilance, cognitive overload, fatigue, reduced recovery and stress tied to operating in a high-threat environment.
IFALPA also said fit-to-fly policies should remain nonpunitive and that pilots must retain the ability to remove themselves from duty when fatigue, stress or other factors affect their condition. The organization said a pilot in command’s decision to avoid or reroute around a conflict zone should always be regarded as final and free of commercial pressure. It called on operators and regulators to strengthen post-flight support, fatigue mitigation and recurrent training access during prolonged crises.
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