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PILOTS ACROSS THE EU will now have at least two days a week rest twice a month after new rules were adopted today.
The provision is part of a raft of new rules brought in by European legislators which they say is aimed at improving crew protection against fatigue but some unions and MEPs have raised doubt about their effectiveness.
The regulations are expected to come into force at the end of 2013 and will become fully applicable two years later.
Other regulations include:
The Irish Airline Pilots Association had lobbied strongly against the new rules saying that they could effectively increase the amount of time pilots would have to fly in some member states.
The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) have also been critical of the entire process saying that although the regulations improve on the standards of some EU member states, they do not match up to UK safety standards.
“This has been a botched process by the EU from start to finish”, Balpa said in a statement.
Passengers and pilots deserve flight safety rules based on rigorous science and evidence, not secret dodgy deal making in Strasbourg, which will mean that Britain no longer has the safest skies in Europe.
For example, Balpa say there will be no limit on the number of “early starts” which usually require pilots to be at the airport between 5am and 7am, they say the UK standard in this area is at most three “early starts” in a row.
Speaking to radioep.ie earlier today, Labour MEP for Dublin Emer Costello said that she too was disappointed by the vote saying that there was confusion across the chamber before voting:
There was an announcement this morning that there was an agreement with unions which is disputed by other unions. I think it may have been better to defer the vote until we received clarification. Unfortunately there was a vote to defer the vote, unfortunately that wasn’t approved either, we moved to the vote and MEPs have approved the commissions proposals.
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Wow, that shade of green is only stunning against the flood water! Hats off to the Interior Designer!
Why do we keep running down the citizens of Ireland? Would anyone PLEASE tell me?
We have immigrants we do not want rammed down our throats, who only want the benefits of living here, they have no interest whatever in the Irish people or the Irish culture, so they bring all their prejudices, likes and hates with them, while the Irish are not allowed to have any say in anything to do with them on pain of being racist. Try going to Africa and see Racism at its worst, towards anyone not of native birth.
We are whinged and whined at about our “intolerance towards every type of pervert known to human kind. It is your right to feel as you want to feel, it is only when you actually attack these pervs that you are committing a crime. Tell me, have any of you ever had the dubious pleasure of the unwanted interest of one of these pervs? Well I have, and I dont like them, I dont want to see them act like couples in the street I dont want the pervs giving my grandchildren unwanted attention. Am I an evil bastard? I am only saying what others fear to say. Take your PC crap and shove it where it belongs.
That’s some rant; but, what’s it got to do with floods and insurance?
Floods really grind his gears.
What the hell has that got to do with Flood insurance you ignoramus
the central bank talking about “lack of transparacy” “weak oversight ” and “lack of controls ” in the insurance industry ! remind me again ,who is it that owns most of the big insurance componies in ireland? oh yes the banks!
POT,KETTLE,BLACK !
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