The mainstream press don't seem to have picked up on this yet.
The European agency responsible for aviation safety across the EU has been accused of gross maladministration by British pilots.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA), which represents over 80% of British airline pilots, has submitted a formal complaint to the European Ombudsman who has responsibility for investigating such cases of poor governance within European agencies.
BALPA’s complaint is that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has breached its own terms of reference in the way it has put together its proposals to change pilots’ working hour limits; limits which are supposed to prevent fatigue. In particular the EASA group that formulated the proposals appear to be very short on relevant medical and scientific qualification and – astonishingly – EASA took no steps to record or manage conflicts of interest within the group.
BALPA’s General Secretary, Jim McAuslan, said, ‘The UK government will be represented at a crucial EU meeting on 10th and 11th July at which they will be asked to support these EASA rules which will substantially dilute the existing UK rules. We have written to the Minister to inform him of our Ombudsman complaint and asking him to support our cause and insist that the rule-making process is done properly.
'Regrettably the Minister has shown little stomach so far for a fight with EU bureaucrats. BALPA's battle is therefore likely to move to the EU parliament which has been poorly served by an agency that lacks transparency, skill and knowledge and yet has been given the power to draft rules which will have a big impact on every airline passenger in Europe.'
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