‘Toxic culture and excessive workloads’ are causing safety concerns; Emirates pilot reveals shocking facts!

An Emirates pilot told CNBC that heavy workloads and toxic cultures were causing safety concerns. An anonymous Emirates pilot told the outlet that many pilots were suffering from ‘an excessive amount of work’ and a ‘fairly toxic culture’.  They told CNBC that these issues could result in ‘a reduction in the safety margin,’ which is ‘a major concern’.

The pilot went on to say that the aviation industry was a ‘toxic soup’ of low pay and less appealing contracts for pilots. ‘ Airports and airlines share equal responsibility. For years, it’s been a race to the bottom’, they stated. ‘ They’ll always try to pay as little as they can get away with paying.  We’d never compromise on safety at Emirates,’ an Emirates spokesperson told Insider, ‘and there are strict regulatory requirements for rest and flying hours that we adhere to for our operating crew’.

The airline was committed, according to the representative, ‘to ensuring high levels of safety performance across our operations’. Several pilots from major airlines spoke anonymously to CNBC about fatigue caused by overwork, airline attempts to cut operating costs, and toxic work cultures. All of the pilots interviewed by CNBC stated that airlines frequently ignore the issue of pilot fatigue.

According to an EasyJet pilot interviewed by the news outlet, the legal maximum limit of 900 hours per year is viewed as a target rather than a limit. ‘ That wasn’t seen as the absolute maximum; it was seen as the target to try and make everyone’s workload as efficient as possible,’ said the EasyJet pilot. ‘EasyJet’s pilots and crew work within the limits of the regulations and the industrial agreements that are currently in place, and the amount of hours our pilots and crew work has not changed,’ an EasyJet spokesperson told Insider.

Many airlines are experiencing a pilot shortage, which is contributing to a summer of travel disruptions. József Váradi, the CEO of Wizz Air, faced criticism last month for appearing to suggest that pilots should fly while fatigued, which is a major safety concern. According to Insider, Váradi stated that pilots should ‘go the extra mile’ to help stabilise flight schedules.