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The Airline Pilots Association has reaffirmed its stance that two pilots must be present on the flight deck at all times. This position was reiterated following a recent incident involving Lufthansa, where a co-pilot lost consciousness while alone in the cockpit, as reported in a post on X.
A Lufthansa Airbus A321 flight from Frankfurt to Seville experienced a situation where the first officer fainted while alone on the flight deck, leaving the aircraft without a conscious pilot for nearly 10 minutes. According to AP News, during this time, the captain was temporarily out of the cockpit. The autopilot maintained stability until he regained entry after the co-pilot partially regained consciousness. This incident has sparked global concerns about the risks associated with reducing cockpit crew to a single pilot.
According to the Airline Pilots Association’s "Safety Starts With 2" campaign, having two pilots on the flight deck is crucial for safety. The campaign's official site emphasizes that dual-pilot operations ensure immediate response if one pilot becomes incapacitated or if an emergency arises. ALPA cites real incidents like the Lufthansa event to argue against industry efforts to adopt single-pilot models.
