When pilots say they’re tired, we should listen

SIR – As an airline passenger and a retired GP with a special interest in occupational medicine, I fully support the proposed strike action by the British Airline Pilots Association over complaints of rising fatigue among staff (report, September 11).

Airlines with a “low ticket cost” business model rely on maximising the use of aircraft and crews and achieving the highest load factors possible while minimising – within safety criteria – all other costs.

The European Aviation Safety Agency rules, governing pilots’ flying hours, are not fit for purpose – either in terms of protecting the long-term health of air crew or, ultimately, passenger safety. Dr Peter Sander Hythe, Kent

Sky-high responsibility: the scene in a cockpit before take-off from Dublin Airport