Over half of Brazilian pilots have nodded off midflight
More than half of Brazil’s commercial airline pilots have nodded off while at the controls of a plane a survey has found.
The Brazilian Association of Civil Aviation Pilots (Abrapac) interviewed 1,235 pilots for a study which found 57% admitted to falling asleep during a domestic flight
That figure rose to 70% for longer international flights.
It also found 20% of pilots who said they had never fallen asleep admitted knowing a colleague who had during a domestic flight.
Pilots interviewed highlighted work hours, night shifts and inadequate rest time between work shifts as the main reasons for causing fatigue on the job.
"An unintentional siesta can be extremely dangerous, and failing to remain alert when it is needed is dangerous, because in an emergency or unexpected situation, a rapid reaction time is essential," the agency concluded.
"Another factor to be underscored is the number of consecutive nights of work, which on average is four nights," the study also said.
Previous studies showed the risk of an aviation accident occurring due to working four consecutive night shifts is around 36% higher than when working a sequence of just one night shift, the agency said.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports