Fears over impact of short-haul flights on crews

AIR accident investigators have warned that short-distance flights with rapid turnaround times are creating “a continued high pressure environment” for pilots.

Concern about the potential impact of commercial pressures being placed on flight crews is contained in a new report by the Department of Transport’s Air Accident Investigation Unit into an emergency on board a Ryanair flight last November.

A failure to switch an important control button into an ‘on’ position resulted in cabin pressure reaching dangerous levels without the flight crew immediately becoming aware of the problem.