Originally Posted by
Trip7
Looks like the tidal wave of Academia over Common sense continues to hit Europe:
A concept known as extended minimum crew operations (eMCO) would require one pilot to leave the flight deck to rest during cruise on long-haul flights, while the other pilot remains on the flight deck alone. An additional concept envisioned along the same line, single-pilot operations, would allow for the possibility of operations by a single pilot in all phases of flight. The Association
recently released a white paper that discusses the Airbus single-pilot agenda in greater detail.
The push to implement reduced-crew operations is driven primarily by technological advances in flight deck automation and the promise of artificial intelligence. Airlines and aircraft manufacturers believe these advances will reduce labor costs. Proponents have argued for an aggressive timeline for implementation, suggesting that eMCO could be introduced before the end of the decade, and possibly within the next few years
Yep, this is extremely concerning and a bit surprising after the Germanwings disaster.
My impression (based on their pay and work rules) is the European pilot unions don't have as much sway as we do, but I hope they are fighting this tooth and nail.