European airline pilots in a survey report both falling asleep and flying while too fatigued to work, highlighting concerns about rest, shift pressures and reporting safety fitness. Across sources, the findings come from a poll of nearly 7,200 captains and first officers conducted by the European Cockpit Association.
Outlets report that many pilots have experienced microsleeps in the cockpit, alongside broader issues linked to fatigue management. The reporting also notes that some pilots fear negative consequences from management if they declare themselves unfit, while others describe pressure to extend working hours. One source specifies that almost a quarter of pilots say they routinely fly when too fatigued to work, and several cite the same proportion who report microsleeps.
Differences mainly concern emphasis rather than the core results: some headlines stress “fallen asleep in the cockpit” while others focus on “too fatigued to work” and the barriers to reporting unfitness.
