KARACHI, Jan 7: The management of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken measures to ensure safety of the crew and travelling passengers by installing cockpit doors and cameras.

This was stated by the PIA deputy managing director, Niaz Hussain, at a seminar on "Flight duty time limitations (FDTL)/fatigue" organized by the Pakistan Air Line Pilots Association (Palpa) in connection with its 50th anniversary celebrations at a local hotel on Wednesday.

The seminar, which was followed by a workshop, highlighted the working conditions of pilots all over the world. It also stressed that fatigue caused by long duty hours compromised flight security.

A three-member delegation from the International Federation of Air Lines Pilots Associations (IFALPA) led by Deputy President Capt Carlos Limon also took part in the seminar which was also attended by a large number of professionals from the aviation industry.

Mr Hussain said FDTL was an important technical issue which PIA and Palpa could sort out. He added that the issue put the lives of the crew and the passengers at risk.

Capt Limon spoke on "Approach and landing accident reduction." He said manufacturers, regulatory bodies and operators asked pilots for feedback to improve aircraft design and flight procedures. "By doing so they ensure and enhance flight safety for the crew and the travelling public by preventing accidents in this critical phase of flight," he suggested.

Captain Rick Brennan, professional affairs consultant of IFALPA, spoke about the implications of FDTL. With the help of charts, he explained that fatigue could be a contributory factor in aircraft accidents. "Without adequate FDTL such occurrences are likely to increase. Experience shows that fatiguing duties are often the result of poor management of duty rosters. Good management of rosters can both reduce fatigue and improve productivity."

"Since consensus on FDTL is unlikely between the industry stakeholders, science is and should be the way forward," Capt Brennan concluded. Wing Commander Tanzeem A. Khan, president of the Safety Board of Pakistan Air Force Base Faisal, Karachi, said fatigue was a threat to safety which caused significant impairment to alertness and performance. He added that it also led to wrong judgment and decision-making.

Captain Saleem Akhtar of Palpa presented an overview of Pakistan's position on air safety and FDTL. He said: "According to a study conducted by the Institute of Science and Technology of the University of Manchester on stress levels in various professions, pilots have a stress level of 7.5 on a scale of 0- 10, which makes it the third most stressful profession on the list."

Earlier, welcoming the participants, Capt N.A. Bucha, president of Palpa, underlined the importance of FDTL and fatigue. He said: "The purpose of this seminar is to bring to the attention of all people concerned in the aviation industry the importance of this subject and its repercussions when ignored."

PIA chairman Ahmad Saeed, former Sindh governor Azim Daudpota, IFALPA regional officer Carols Couchman, flight officer Mohsin Khan and Dr Akhund also spoke.