The number of "human errors"reported to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has recently increased rapidly in the Japanese airline industry. This is because of the background of poor human resource supply, especially the lack of sufficient pilots brings serious troubles because the burden lying heavily on each pilots is going to increase and there is a voice that it may threaten the safe flight under this kind of harsh working condition.
A veteran pilot working in LCC said "we no longer think of having break time during work because handling my jobs and schedule are the most I can do."
"I should be at work at Narita Airport at 9 in the morning. At half-past 10,depart from narita to Taiwan and at half-past 13(local time) arrived at an airport in Taiwan. 40 minutes later, I was already in the plane moving onto the runway ready to takeoff to Narita airport. Arriving at Narita at around 19, I needed to head for next domestic flight bound for shin-chitose(hokkaido) right after going through immigration examination counter"
"At 20 o'clock, took off for Shin-chitose. At about 10, arrive at shin-chitose airport and the time I can checked in the hotel was at least past 23 p.m. The next day I operated 2 round flights between Shin-chitose and Narita and I could finally go home. There is a case that I am already scheduled next flight without taking day off. My total flight time a month is going to be over 80 hours."
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism regulates the maximum flight time for each piliot as 100 hours a month and 1000 hours a year.
A flight of a LLC airline company between Narita and Changi airport (Singapore) departs from Narita in the evening and arrive at Changi at midnight. Next flight is at midnight 24 hours later. The company used to allow flight crew to stay one and a half days at Singapore but decrease the time for rest for pilots because the number of pilot get fewer and fewer. The captain said " Return journey especially exhausts me at all. In the early morning that sunlight comes into the cockpit my fatigue reaches peak."
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the total domestic pilots in Japan as of 2013 was 5686 which is 114 fewer than 10 years ago. On the other hand, the number of flight both domestic and international was 933,595 so increased 20 per cent more than 10 years ago. The number of pilots to fulfil the expected flight demand in 2030 is said to be 8000.
Each LCC airlines has serious problem of hiring aging of pilots under the decision of recruiting veteran pilot. The percentage of over 60-year-old captains in the total 110 pilots of the 3 famous domestic LCC airlines, Peach Aviation, Jetstar Japan, Air Asia Japan reached 30 per cent in 2013
an ex-captain of JAL said "In case of LCC which has relatively short flight, the number of takeoff and landing which one pilot need to operated is going to be increased. Especially at the moment of takeoff scene, there is a lot of sensitive operations that wear out pilot's nerves so mental fatigue are more concerned than physical one. By the influence of the lack of sufficient pilots heavy burden is going to lie on pilots."
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism enforced a system to provide outplacement service for ex-military pilots to change their job smoothly as private pilot and raise their retirement age. They also consider lightening the necessary training to be promoted to captain and easing a required condition of status of residence of Japan for foreign pilots.
It is unknown quantity if these measures are directly connected to the problem of the lack of pilots.
A veteran pilot working in LCC said "we no longer think of having break time during work because handling my jobs and schedule are the most I can do."
"I should be at work at Narita Airport at 9 in the morning. At half-past 10,depart from narita to Taiwan and at half-past 13(local time) arrived at an airport in Taiwan. 40 minutes later, I was already in the plane moving onto the runway ready to takeoff to Narita airport. Arriving at Narita at around 19, I needed to head for next domestic flight bound for shin-chitose(hokkaido) right after going through immigration examination counter"
"At 20 o'clock, took off for Shin-chitose. At about 10, arrive at shin-chitose airport and the time I can checked in the hotel was at least past 23 p.m. The next day I operated 2 round flights between Shin-chitose and Narita and I could finally go home. There is a case that I am already scheduled next flight without taking day off. My total flight time a month is going to be over 80 hours."
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism regulates the maximum flight time for each piliot as 100 hours a month and 1000 hours a year.
A flight of a LLC airline company between Narita and Changi airport (Singapore) departs from Narita in the evening and arrive at Changi at midnight. Next flight is at midnight 24 hours later. The company used to allow flight crew to stay one and a half days at Singapore but decrease the time for rest for pilots because the number of pilot get fewer and fewer. The captain said " Return journey especially exhausts me at all. In the early morning that sunlight comes into the cockpit my fatigue reaches peak."
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the total domestic pilots in Japan as of 2013 was 5686 which is 114 fewer than 10 years ago. On the other hand, the number of flight both domestic and international was 933,595 so increased 20 per cent more than 10 years ago. The number of pilots to fulfil the expected flight demand in 2030 is said to be 8000.
Each LCC airlines has serious problem of hiring aging of pilots under the decision of recruiting veteran pilot. The percentage of over 60-year-old captains in the total 110 pilots of the 3 famous domestic LCC airlines, Peach Aviation, Jetstar Japan, Air Asia Japan reached 30 per cent in 2013
an ex-captain of JAL said "In case of LCC which has relatively short flight, the number of takeoff and landing which one pilot need to operated is going to be increased. Especially at the moment of takeoff scene, there is a lot of sensitive operations that wear out pilot's nerves so mental fatigue are more concerned than physical one. By the influence of the lack of sufficient pilots heavy burden is going to lie on pilots."
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism enforced a system to provide outplacement service for ex-military pilots to change their job smoothly as private pilot and raise their retirement age. They also consider lightening the necessary training to be promoted to captain and easing a required condition of status of residence of Japan for foreign pilots.
It is unknown quantity if these measures are directly connected to the problem of the lack of pilots.