Would YOU be happy flying in a plane with only one pilot at the controls? Pilots' union launches campaign to warn against Airbus push to replace humans in the cockpit with automation

Would you consciousness astatine easiness connected a rider level pinch only 1 aviator astatine nan controls?

Aircraft manufacturers and airlines are hoping passengers will travel astir to nan thought – because they're keen for a caller era of flying to statesman successful which airlines will person only 1 aviator successful nan cockpit during nan cruise shape of nan flight.

Passengers person not warmed to nan idea, and nor has nan piloting community, pinch nan European Cockpit Association spreading consciousness astir nan push for one-pilot formation decks via a caller advertizing campaign.

A bid of ads will look betwixt 20 and 27 July astatine Brussels-Zaventem Airport, Belgium, informing passengers that reducing nan number of pilots successful nan formation platform erstwhile a level has taken disconnected is simply a information consequence – tantamount to flying pinch nary pilots astatine all.

The posters are portion of nan 'OneMeansNone' campaign, which warns passengers that 'flying pinch conscionable 1 aviator is for illustration flying connected a pilotless flight'.

The ECA continues: 'Planes, particularly ample commercialized ones, require aggregate pilots for safe flying. Flight information relies connected a squad of pilots sharing tasks and moving together.

'Their roles see flying nan plane, monitoring nan flight, managing automation, and addressing immoderate risks successful a analyzable and changing environment. If a aviator becomes incapacitated aliases unwell, location would beryllium nary 1 other successful nan cockpit to swiftly return control. Reduced Crew Operations (RCO) are a bet pinch your safety.'

It adds: 'Airlines are pushing to switch pilots pinch automation to trim unit costs and perchance summation their profits.'

Captain Otjan de Bruijn, ECA President, said: 'We dream this run is simply a speech starter, showing successful a schematic measurement conscionable why we request astatine slightest 2 pilots successful nan cockpit.

'Faced pinch nan imaginable of Reduced Crew Operations, some pilots and nan passengers are evidently connected nan broadside of safety.

'A level has aggregate backups – 2 engines, 2 generators – for a reason. One aviator is simply not capable to reside emergencies and guarantee that each formation aspects are successful order.

'We cannot fto airlines' commercialized interests get successful nan measurement of rider safety.'

Who is pushing for one-pilot flights?

Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways person each expressed an interest, but pinch rider buy-in and acceptance low, they're not shouting from nan rooftops astir it.

The main push is coming from manufacturers Airbus and Dassault.

The ECA says: 'Currently, regulatory and manufacture standards instruction nan necessity of having 2 pilots astatine nan controls of a ample commercialized plane.

'However, manufacturers specified arsenic Airbus and Dassault are actively pursuing nan elimination of 1 aviator from nan formation platform during nan cruise phase.

'This proposal, besides known arsenic "extended Minimum Crew Operations" (eMCO), is being evaluated by nan European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Its support would lead to importantly diminished formation safety, pinch 1 aviator leaving nan formation platform for respective hours during nan cruise phase, while nan different remains astatine nan controls.'

Airbus argues that 1 aviator successful nan cockpit will mean much remainder for pilots and smoother operations.

It states: 'Extended Minimum Crew Operations enables nan formation unit to amended organise their beingness successful nan cockpit during nan cruise phase, acknowledgment to further automated functions. Pilots tin frankincense execute a amended equilibrium betwixt moving and resting clip connected long-range flights.'

Airbus is keen to push eMCO for nan A350, which Christophe Cail, operational advisor to caput of merchandise information and trial aviator astatine Airbus, told Aviation News, is 'the only level that allows for this exertion - location is nary different craft that tin support this evolution'.