Japan Press Weekly

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2014 September 3 - 9 [LABOR]

Gov’t plans to ease regulations on piloting hours, ignoring air safety

The ministry of transport is planning to ease regulations on commercial airline pilots as a way to solve the ongoing pilot shortage so as to promote new entries by low-cost carriers and accommodate a projected increase in flights and routes, raising serious concerns about aviation safety.

At present, Japan prohibits pilots over 65 years old from flying because of a higher risk for experiencing mental strain or sudden ill health than those under 65. The government, however, seeks to allow pilots aged over 65 to continue to pilot commercial flights.

The authorities want pilots to be on flight duty, if their fatigue is not serious, for more than the current limit of up to 100 hours a month or 270 hours in three months.

Crewmembers are already forced to work under harsh working conditions, often on duty for 12 hours straight. Under the government plan, they may have to work even longer hours.

More medications will be available to on-duty pilots, leading to the possibility of piloting, for example, under the influence of potent cold medicines taken to temporarily suppress their cold symptoms.

Tsue Shozo, secretary general of the Japan Federation of Aviation Worker’s Union pointed out, “This is the type of deregulation which totally ignores flight safety.”

He criticized the government plan for trying to cover the pilot shortage by increasing the age limit as well as the work limit of pilots.

Tsue said, “The pilot shortage has resulted from cost-cutting efforts and personnel cuts by profit-first airlines. They should have been able to predict this outcome in which the number of pilots would be far from enough due to LCC entries in the air transport industry. Deregulation under the pretext of securing human resources is in blatant disregard of the safety of public air transport.”