A report based on survey responses from approximately 7,200 European airline captains and first officers reveals significant concerns about pilot fatigue and safety management practices across the continent.
The survey, conducted in August, found that 24% of pilots typically continue flying despite being too fatigued to work, while an additional 16.8% reported calling in sick instead of declaring themselves unfit. Three-quarters of respondents experienced at least one microsleep—a brief, involuntary sleep episode—while operating aircraft in the four weeks prior to the survey. The findings highlight concerns about insufficient rest, pressure to extend working hours, and fear of penalties for reporting fatigue-related unfitness. Despite regulations requiring airlines to have fatigue monitoring systems, only one-third of pilots said they usually reported themselves unfit when fatigued, and half acknowledged operating flights in the three months before the survey when they should have declared themselves too tired to fly.
Pilot fatigue results from factors including extended duty hours, inadequate rest periods, irregular scheduling, and time zone crossings that disrupt sleep cycles. The condition presents documented safety risks by impairing judgment, slowing reaction times, reducing alertness, and hindering responses to emergencies. Almost half of surveyed pilots expressed fear of management retaliation for reporting fatigue, while only 11.9% trusted their airline’s fatigue reporting system.
Geographic and airline-type variations emerged in the data. Pilots at Irish and Maltese carriers reported the highest microsleep rates and greatest concerns about management reprisals. Approximately 40% of Spanish-based airline pilots, one-third of those at Irish and French carriers, and approximately 30% of French-based pilots said they regularly fly when fatigued, compared with one-tenth of UK-based airline pilots. Only 15.6% of low-cost carrier pilots believed their airline managed fatigue effectively, compared with 18.6% at ACMI or wet-lease operators.
The European Cockpit Association’s leadership called for stronger regulatory action and airline accountability, urging the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to strengthen fatigue management rules and ensure compliance with non-punitive reporting requirements and proper use of discretionary authority provisions.
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