Wizz Air has defended its safety rules as a TV investigation claimed pilots are being offered bonuses for working when tired.
The Channel 4 Dispatches programme to be shown tonight (Monday) quotes an anonymous pilot at the budget airline as saying staff are being encouraged to “work harder” to avoid cancelling flights due to a shortage of crew.
“There is pressure for us to help out by flying on our days off. There is also a summer bonus scheme that actively encourages pilots to fly more hours,” the pilot told the programme.
“You can report sick if you are fatigued but you will lose financially if you do. There’s not that culture of thinking where you can actually speak up.”
Wizz Air chief executive Jozsef Varadi reportedly said in June that staff should try and work through fatigue.
The Civil Aviation Authority makes pilots personally responsible for not flying if they suspect they are fatigued.
British Airline Pilots Association general secretary Martin Chalk told the programme: “If you are fatigued then you are not in a fit state to fly an aeroplane… many companies are seeing the limits, that are there to protect the flying public from crew that are fatigued, as targets. But the limits are there because that is where the science says the human being begins to start making poor decisions.”
The airline told Dispatches: “At Wizz Air, the safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is always our top priority.
“We ensure our experienced pilots and cabin crew keep our customers safe by operating an industry-leading fatigue management system.
“This is in line with the legal requirements applicable in the industry, and is regularly reviewed and monitored through a standard regulatory process by aviation regulators.
“Regardless of the challenges our business and the wider industry are currently facing, Wizz Air will never compromise on safety.”