Two-pilot crew in the Boeing 787 cockpit
Image: 123RF
Why do airlines have multiple pilots on a flight?
The first airline, an ancestor of British Airways formed in 1916, used former military planes and had only one pilot and could carry two passengers.
The FAA today requires two pilots for aircraft that exceed 12,500 pounds. This two-pilot rule also applies to flights under 8 hours. However, a third pilot is required if the flight is longer than 8 hours. For flights over 12 hours, a fourth pilot is mandatory.
For example, our flight from Kuala Lumpur to London, which is about 13 hours, has a four-man crew: two captains and two first officers, divided into ‘Team A’ and ‘Team B’. ‘A’ team handles the take-off and landing, while ‘B’ team flies part of the cruise, leaving a fresh ‘A’ team captain to ensure a safe landing after the 13-hour flight.
Pilot requirements are set because most regulatory authorities worldwide limit 2 pilots from actively flying the airplane for more than eight hours in a 12 to 14-hour work shift.
Multiple pilots are necessary for safety, regulatory, and operational reasons. Having multiple pilots ensures that there is always someone to take control of the aircraft if one pilot becomes incapacitated.
Long flights can be exhausting, and pilot fatigue can impair judgment and reaction times. Therefore, airlines implement crew rest periods, allowing pilots to take breaks or nap during the flight, ensuring they remain alert, and capable throughout the journey.
Aviation authorities, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Europe, set regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of the flight crew and passengers.
In the future, multiple pilots may become redundant with AI taking over to save costs and enhance safety. Although there are still sceptics about pilotless flight, its progression might start off with only one pilot in the cockpit, eventually leading to none at all.
Passengers’ needs would still be attended to by a Senior Cabin Manager. The “pilot” could be someone on the ground performing flight duties like NASA’s mission control centre.
Flying on a plane without a pilot may become a reality, but it is difficult to forecast exactly when pilotless planes will be the norm. The future of pilotless planes will depend on public acceptance, similar to the current negative reception of robotaxis or driverless taxis in cities like San Francisco, USA.
Unfortunately, public objection to driverless taxis remains strong, as many do not trust the technology or its safety. For example, a robotaxi was recently surrounded and set on fire in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Nevertheless, the practice of airlines having multiple pilots on a flight today is a component of modern aviation safety and will continue until AI can reliably operate planes without a physical pilot on board in the future.
View YouTube video ‘Driverless taxi takes to the street at San Francisco’
here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8qfHlpe31k
View a YouTube video ‘Driverless Robotaxi roll out in Beijing’
here https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EILN1hqk9ys?app=desktop
View a YouTube video ‘Waymo driverless car vandalized, set on fire in San Francisco’s Chinatown’
here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AuogqWG8pM