By Jean Christou
CYPRUS Airways (CY) pilots warned yesterday they may go on strike because they are overworked and pose a danger to public safety.
Pilots union Pasipy will hold an extraordinary general meeting tomorrow to decide on measures to take if their demands are not met.
The union wants nine of its members promoted to Captain in CY and another nine new co-pilots hired, said Pasipy chairman Chris Christodoulou. It also wants CY to halt the promotion of two Eurocypria pilots to Captain until a report on ‘common seniority’ is completed.
CY pilots have a long-standing claim on Captain vacancies in the charter firm, a claim disputed by their Eurocypria counterparts who work longer hours for less money.
Christodoulou said that since the summer season had begun, pilots had been worked off their feet and were worried that exhaustion could bring CY’s safety into question unless more crews were made available.
He said the pilots would have to strike if CY did not take into consideration their position on heavy flight schedules, which they say is a serious danger for the public.
“They (CY) are concerned about costs,” Christodoulou said. “Where lives are concerned you can’t cut corners.”
But a company source said CY pilots flew only 62 hours a month, below international standards and even less than the hours specified in the collective agreement signed between the company and the pilots.
CY pilots are also among the best paid in the world.
The source said the longest CY flight was to Manchester at just over five hours, after which pilots stay overnight before returning to Cyprus.
He also said it was strange that only the Pasipy pilots, and not their 27 Cynika counterparts, were complaining of feeling tired. “They are only after the promotions,” he said.
Cynika chief Costas Demetriou told the Cyprus Mailyesterday his pilot members were not making any demands on the company and had no complaints about being tired. But he said if Pasipy decided to strike Cynika would discuss whether or not to participate. “We will consider the situation and act accordingly,” Demetriou said.
CY spokesman Tassos Angelis said the pilots scare-mongering on safety was irresponsible. “It is well know that Cyprus Airways ranks among the safest airlines worldwide,” he said.
He said CY was governed by international regulations and by the British Civil Aviation Authority, which allow pilots to fly up to 10 to 12 hours at a stretch. “Pilots in other airlines fly 80 to 90 hours a month and our pilots 62 according to the collective agreement,” Angelis said.
“If Pasipy wants to change the terms of the collective agreement, then there are other ways to go about it than bringing up the serious issue of safety. We are very sorry that they use this issue every time they have a demand to make and they always bring it up at peak season.”
But Christodoulou said that CY’s claim on the 62 hours was misleading. He said the pilots were talking about duty times rather that flying times. When it comes to working hours, he said pilots were putting in 180 hours a month, around 45 hours a week, “and even more”.
The Pasipy boss said that, on top of this, the roster was allowing pilots no more than a 12-hour break between working shifts on night flights, the minimum allowed under international regulations.
Angelis rubbished the claim. He said international regulations allowed the pilots to do four night flights a week on three consecutive nights. “We put them on two consecutive nights once a month,” Angelis said. “We believe our pilots are very well trained and have all the necessary qualifications to be as good as their colleagues in other airlines who fly more hours.”
