Easyjet schedules put lives at risk, warn pilots

EASYJET is putting passengers at risk by scheduling too many flights, leaving crew exhausted, France’s pilots union has said.

Staff are expected to work over legal flight time limits and intimidated if they refuse, the head of the union said in an open letter to Stelios Haji-ioannou, the company’s main shareholder.

“A red line has been crossed and we are very shocked,” Arnaud Wiplier of the SNPL union said.

“The airline has eyes bigger than its stomach; the schedules are impossible.” The union said that the crew were “exhausted” and were being “pushed to their limits every day” to keep up with their schedules.

“Pilots are being asked to use their discretionary power to exceed the legal flight time limits to facilitate an unachievable program, to the detriment of passenger and crew safety,” the letter read.

“Certain flight captains who refuse, as is their right … are even summoned by the management to Luton to be intimidated.

Easyjet has said that it is “surprised” by the letter adding that it had resolved the issue and continued to work closely with union members.