FRANKFURT — A recent survey conducted by the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots’ union has revealed that 93% of over 900 participating pilots admitted to having napped during flights in recent months, raising concerns about chronic fatigue in German cockpits.
While the union emphasized that the survey is not representative, the findings show that 12% of pilots nap on every flight, 44% do so regularly, and 33% occasionally.
Only 3% reported a single instance, while 7% said they nap so frequently they’ve lost count.
The union has called for fatigue to be formally recognized as a safety factor and for stricter oversight of flight time regulations.