One year on from the Air India catastrophe that killed 158 souls over the Atlantic, British investigators have confirmed what many in the industry have whispered for years. Pilot fatigue is a systemic risk that regulators have failed to tame. Sources within the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have shared internal documents that reveal a pattern of dangerously long duty hours and inadequate rest periods for long-haul crews.
The report, due to be published next week, will name airlines that have cut corners on crew scheduling to save costs. One source put it bluntly: 'They are flying exhausted pilots because it's cheaper than rostering properly.' The crash on 3 June last year, in which an Air India Boeing 777 plummeted into the sea, has been provisionally attributed to spatial disorientation.
But the AAIB team now believes that fatigue impaired the captain's decision-making in the critical final minutes. Uncovered rosters show the captain had flown 18 hours in the 24 hours before the crash and had less than four hours of continuous sleep. The airline's own safety logs, obtained by this desk, contain multiple anonymous complaints from crew about exhaustion.
Air India refused to comment on the leaked documents, but a spokesperson insisted that all scheduling complied with international norms. Yet the AAIB's evidence suggests those norms are woefully inadequate. The global regulator, ICAO, has resisted mandatory limits for decades, bowing to pressure from airlines.
This crash is the result of that failure. The families of the victims deserve answers. They also deserve a system that does not prioritise profit over human life.
My sources say the AAIB will recommend a maximum of 12 hours duty for any pilot, with a minimum 12-hour break. It is a modest proposal. If the industry fights it, they have blood on their hands.
