BA delay Delhi flight. Crew fatigue
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BA delay Delhi flight. Crew fatigue
In a midnight ordeal lasting more than 12 hours for 225 passengers for London, a British Airways flight failed to take off from here when its pilot expressed his inability to fly complaining he did not have proper sleep.
Flight BA 143 was scheduled to leave Delhi at 2.30 am this morning but did not take off after the pilot, Captain William, said he would not fly as he had not had enough sleep, airport sources said.
The pilot said he could not sleep as there was some disturbance in his hotel, the sources said.
All the passengers, who had boarded the flight, were offloaded, leaving many of them fuming.
The airline could not make alternative arrangements for the passengers and the flight was delayed till 3.20 pm today when it took off for London.
British Airways spokeswoman Radhika Raikhy said "the crew hadn't had enough rest. The safety regulations of British Airways doesn't allow them to operate in such conditions.
"The entire crew had a disturbed night," she said.
British Airways apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers, saying their safety was "paramount" and could not be "compromised".
Sunil Thapar, a traveller on the delayed flight, said most passengers felt British Airways was negligent in its handling of the matter.
"There were hundreds of people going back but they basically asked them to board some buses and just left us to our devices," he said.
Flight BA 143 was scheduled to leave Delhi at 2.30 am this morning but did not take off after the pilot, Captain William, said he would not fly as he had not had enough sleep, airport sources said.
The pilot said he could not sleep as there was some disturbance in his hotel, the sources said.
All the passengers, who had boarded the flight, were offloaded, leaving many of them fuming.
The airline could not make alternative arrangements for the passengers and the flight was delayed till 3.20 pm today when it took off for London.
British Airways spokeswoman Radhika Raikhy said "the crew hadn't had enough rest. The safety regulations of British Airways doesn't allow them to operate in such conditions.
"The entire crew had a disturbed night," she said.
British Airways apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers, saying their safety was "paramount" and could not be "compromised".
Sunil Thapar, a traveller on the delayed flight, said most passengers felt British Airways was negligent in its handling of the matter.
"There were hundreds of people going back but they basically asked them to board some buses and just left us to our devices," he said.
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Sounds like the fiasco wasn't the Captain's decision to not fly, but rather BA's handling of the situation. Since what was posted appears to be a news story, its merely sensationalized. It appears the message they're trying to convey is 'How dare they inconvenience 225 passengers?'
As ambulance drivers frequently say, "There's nothing to look at here, people, move along"
As ambulance drivers frequently say, "There's nothing to look at here, people, move along"
Saskatoon9999
Just a guess but perhaps the DEL flight was supposed about to carry on to somewhere else on the sub-continent/had come in from somewhere else and the "boarded" pax were in fact transit pax.
Incidentally The 143 flight number that lizardking has posted is not the correct one for a flight "for London", I wonder what else in the report is in error
Incidentally The 143 flight number that lizardking has posted is not the correct one for a flight "for London", I wonder what else in the report is in error
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BA only operates point-to-point flights to/from India. The BA143 is LHR-DEL returning as the BA142, at about the time the original poster says.
As to scurrilous, unsubstantiated rumours by the same poster in a later post, I think they (and indeed the poster) are best ignored.
I think that the BA crew rest (certainly for one of the 2 daily services, if not both) has recently moved hotels. It would not be unusual in BA for the company to seize on a cheaper hotel deal only to find out that the hotel is about to embark on a major renovation programme that they neglected to tell the company about, and hence the reason for the cut-rate deal!
Pre-flight rest in the form of good blackout, quiet rooms and temperature control are not a luxury to have but essential for crews operating across multiple time zones.
Unfortunately it is only the message that a cancellation conveys that the company understand if not fully rested, this is what will trigger a full review of the hotel contract and hopefully result in minimising the risk of disruption to future passengers.
As to scurrilous, unsubstantiated rumours by the same poster in a later post, I think they (and indeed the poster) are best ignored.
I think that the BA crew rest (certainly for one of the 2 daily services, if not both) has recently moved hotels. It would not be unusual in BA for the company to seize on a cheaper hotel deal only to find out that the hotel is about to embark on a major renovation programme that they neglected to tell the company about, and hence the reason for the cut-rate deal!
Pre-flight rest in the form of good blackout, quiet rooms and temperature control are not a luxury to have but essential for crews operating across multiple time zones.
Unfortunately it is only the message that a cancellation conveys that the company understand if not fully rested, this is what will trigger a full review of the hotel contract and hopefully result in minimising the risk of disruption to future passengers.
Concise Oxford Dictionary:
"fiasco - noun (pl. fiascos) a ludicrous or humiliating failure."
Very appropriate, it sums up the entire post in five words.
"fiasco - noun (pl. fiascos) a ludicrous or humiliating failure."
Very appropriate, it sums up the entire post in five words.
The original post was a fiasco.
It contained nothing more than gossip and speculation about the BA Captain's sensible and straightforward decision.
It contained nothing more than gossip and speculation about the BA Captain's sensible and straightforward decision.
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Albeit my career has come to an end I spent a good few years as a "flying spanner" for an airfreight company, yes thats right mostly flying all night and have suffered just about every indignity hotels have to offer for daytime sleepers.Its really time aircrew only hotels were introduced, totally dark quiet cool rooms, where "DO NOT DISTURB" means just that,and also a 24/7 full breakfast cafe is not really too much to ask for in todays world.I would support my captain 100% in this decision he made.
spannertorq
Have to agree, the sleeping requirements of most crew involve daytime rest, which often conflicts with the clatter of housekeeping trolleys,hum of vacuum cleaners and the yells of "see you in the lobby" from the guests leaving the adjacent room.
However rumour has it
that the main source of noise in the DEL episode was the racket from a cricket match taking place just outside the hotel....
However rumour has it
that the main source of noise in the DEL episode was the racket from a cricket match taking place just outside the hotel....
Some companies (like mine) make contracts without consulting the crew representatives and this results in an unfriendly environment for crew. Some hotel staff think they can shortchange us with bad or no service as the company defaults on payments etc. What people who handle the admin dont understand is that a badly rested crew is a flight safety hazard. I have a great respect for a person who knocks out the "why" of an accident investigation due human error before it happens. Kudos for the captain who took this decision!!!!
Pretty hard to know what really happened here but I have being at the passenger end of similar situations several times.
The vast majority of passengers are not going to quibble with a regulation or a safety issue if it is clearly explained and a course of action with a time frame is offered.
People get worked up when the airline treats them as mushrooms (SLF), kept in the dark and feed sh*it.
There is a lot of emphasis in flying on collecting information, making a decision, evaluating the result and moving on.
Airlines seem to be incapable of doing the same on the ground. No one has clear authority. The check in people usually are the worst informed, (willfully by their employers). Many a time I’ve stood at a gate, no plane in sight with a board announcing we are leaving in 10 minutes!!!!
If the crew was tired and not ready to go, it is a legal issue and that is that. There is no reason that a plan cannot be developed from there. I’d suspect BA does not keep back up crew in Delhi so right away the time frame for a new crew has a minimum dimension.
Makes me wonder what these so called station managers do.
20driver
The vast majority of passengers are not going to quibble with a regulation or a safety issue if it is clearly explained and a course of action with a time frame is offered.
People get worked up when the airline treats them as mushrooms (SLF), kept in the dark and feed sh*it.
There is a lot of emphasis in flying on collecting information, making a decision, evaluating the result and moving on.
Airlines seem to be incapable of doing the same on the ground. No one has clear authority. The check in people usually are the worst informed, (willfully by their employers). Many a time I’ve stood at a gate, no plane in sight with a board announcing we are leaving in 10 minutes!!!!
If the crew was tired and not ready to go, it is a legal issue and that is that. There is no reason that a plan cannot be developed from there. I’d suspect BA does not keep back up crew in Delhi so right away the time frame for a new crew has a minimum dimension.
Makes me wonder what these so called station managers do.
20driver
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SAllyann
I would appear to have mis-interpreted your posting, it wasn't clear to me your intention, for which I apologise.
20Driver
BA frequently has no backup flight crew at LHR, and certainly none in Delhi! Even at home base they rely on people answering a phone when not on call and then 'force' them to work on their days off. You don't become one of the worlds most profitable airlines by having spare flight crew.
I would appear to have mis-interpreted your posting, it wasn't clear to me your intention, for which I apologise.
20Driver
I’d suspect BA does not keep back up crew in Delhi so right away the time frame for a new crew has a minimum dimension.
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The noise in the Intercontinental over the last 2 days has been dreadful. As mentioned there was a cricket match going on with attendant noise all day and loud music into the night. The hotel is also right next to a railway line and the hotel is undergoing extensive refurbishment. It was a close call as to whether the 256 was also delayed for the same reason as the 142.
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Austrian do.....the Greaser is correct, loud cricket match with associated PA/music , combined with much noise from nearby railway conspired to keep most of the crew awake. Other flt nearly delayed for same reason....good call IMHO
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Perhaps the Judgement of Soloman would have been to require the hotel in question to overnight the pax free of charge and let the pax know it was the crew hotel. Not feasible I know and some pax would still want their compo.
I agree with driver22's sentiments re keeping pax reliably informed, otherwise known as customer relations. I too have known the smell of bs and the route it has taken.
I agree with driver22's sentiments re keeping pax reliably informed, otherwise known as customer relations. I too have known the smell of bs and the route it has taken.
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something's not right
hmmm, is all pax were onboard does that not mean the crew were also onboard? If this is so, then why choose this moment to make a decsion ablut not flying due disturbed rest. Surely that decision should have been made before even leaving the hotel??
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I am sure there have been situations in the past where crews have had disturbed sleep and then got on the crew bus feeling ok....however, other factors between hotel and cockpit can increase fatigue levels to a point where a no-fly decision has to be made.
Getting stuck in traffic on the way, the heat of a place like DEL, stress, pre-flight workload.......the list is endless.
Getting stuck in traffic on the way, the heat of a place like DEL, stress, pre-flight workload.......the list is endless.
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Lack of crew rest
The Commander made the correct decision. Check your rules & regs. It is about time that all crew hotels are made to understand & brief all staff as to the requirements. Hotel management are the folks responsible for this situation. Crew (both Flt Deck & Cabin) should have been placed as far away as poss from the external/internal disturbance. BA Country Manager/VIDP Station Manager are the ON SITE folks who should take the can. When acting as overseas SM it was my task/responsibility to ensure that crew rest hotac rules were applied, I had to check & clear for use, the allocated rooms.
Good on ya Captain
Good on ya Captain