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EASA Pauses Single-Pilot Research

New studies and technology needed for concept to move forward.

Pilots in an aircraft cockpit. [File Photo: Shutterstock]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) currently cannot recommend single-pilot operations for large commercial aircraft due to an inability to sufficiently demonstrate equivalent safety with current cockpit designs.
  • Further research and new technology are required, specifically focusing on areas like pilot incapacitation monitoring, fatigue, sleep inertia, and cross-checks, to achieve the necessary safety levels.
  • EASA envisions a future "smart cockpit" with advanced automation and crew monitoring capabilities as a prerequisite for the safe progression of single-pilot operations.
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The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) says more research and new technology will be needed before it can recommend moving forward with a framework permitting single pilots to operate large commercial aircraft.

EASA has been studying minimum aircrew requirements and single-pilot operations since 2021. The goal, according to the organization, is to develop a system that would allow a single pilot to fly a commercial jet just as safely as a two-pilot team, but that concept is a long way from implementation.

Zach Vasile

Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.

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