Confidential Human Factors
Incident Reporting Programme
The Charity
Aviation
Maritime
CC5791
Initial Report
Flight outbound flight was delayed as no cleaners (90 mins) to prepare the plane.
During break the senior disrupted breaks as making noise, moving carts, lights off/on, talking as the break was in a working galley. Landed in (airport) and waited for an hour for our bags and then had to wait for an hour for crew transport. The fatigue started on the return flight.
Left the hotel in the evening UK time, again the flight was delayed 80 mins due to no cleaners on time. We took off early morning UK time, flight time was 8hrs40. As it’s a night flight and most passengers are asleep so we don’t have much to do and concentrating is very hard and fatigue kicks in enormously. We waited a further 40 mins for a stand then nearly 2 hours for our bags.
This is not a one-off occurrence it happens all the time and something needs to change before serious accidents happen, as we are that fatigued it’s unbelievable and no one seems to listen or care. Most airlines have bunks or allow crew to sit on the back pax seats to have a quiet rest but at my airline it’s not allowed and to have a break in a working galley where everyone is banging carts in and out, talking, serving passengers etc.
By the landing I am constantly fighting the fatigue even after I have rested the night before.
CAA Comment
The flight time would not require in-flight rest therefore can be operated under the daily maximum FDP table as stated in UK Retained Regulations ORO.FTL.205 (b).
Regarding flying during the WOCL under UK Retained Regulations CS.FTL.1.205(a) (2), the operator is required to apply appropriate fatigue risk management to actively manage the fatiguing effect of night duties of more than 10 hours in relation to surrounding duties and rest periods.
CHIRP Comment
The disturbance of crew on refreshment/ nutritional breaks should not hinder a crew member’s ability to continue to operate as inflight rest is not required to complete the duty. However, just because a duty is legal, it does not mean that you may not find the duty tiring, please visit Self-help tips to fight tiredness – NHS (www.nhs.uk) for some self-help tips to restore your energy levels.
Because its experience and perception are so subjective, there is no one definition of tiredness/fatigue. Most operators have a FRM (Fatigue Risk Management) programme which specifically monitors fatigue reports, if your company has a FRM programme utilise it and report your tiredness/alertness.
Reporting your safety concerns/issues (including fatigue) to your company allows them to identify potential issues so that they can monitor trends, review rosters and take timely action, if necessary.
Manpower issues have been affecting staff on the ground, security, customs, cleaners, caterers, drivers etc, this unfortunately is having an impact on crew with the knock-on effect of delays.
Hopefully, as the peak of Omicron subsides and additional staff are recruited by ground handlers etc. delays will improve. Please remember to report these concerns internally too, if an operator needs to approach an airport handling company for example, then reports support this.