2025 EPAS Outlines Plans to Develop Smart Cockpits

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recently released its 2025 Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS) highlighting its plan to develop smart cockpits. This action further opens the door for controversial single-pilot and minimum-crew operations to move in.

The EPAS is EASA’s way of announcing its strategic aviation priorities for safety, risk mitigation, and environmental protection. Part of the release is a list of actions that the agency is either in progress with or starting in the new year.

One of the tasks listed was the “development of a regulatory framework for the safe deployment of advanced flight deck technologies (smart cockpits),” it stated. Smart cockpits are intended to reduce workload and improve flight crew performance, alertness, and incapacitation monitoring. This would ease the transition into the extended minimum crew operations and single pilot operations (eMCO-SiPO) objective.

eMCO and SiPO are both methods that alter the current standard of having two pilots in the cockpit at all times. During eMCOs, having a single pilot is only allowed during the cruise stage of flight in commercial air transport aircraft. SiPOs would be the next step in the process, permitting end-to-end single-pilot operations only if additional ground assistance, advanced cockpit technology, and methods to cope with pilot incapacitation have been set in place.

Pilots and unions worldwide have responded to the topic of reduced-crew operations with clear concerns. The two-pilot standard was created for a reason; even with so-called ‘smart cockpits,’ there is an inherent risk in chopping flight crews in half.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has been a strong advocate for maintaining a two-pilot flight deck. It even worked with a global pilot union coalition to launch the “Safety Starts With 2” campaign and educate the public on the matter.

“Thanks to the extraordinary pressure brought to bear by airline pilots across the globe, European aviation regulators are retooling their review of reduced-crew operations,” stated Capt. Jason Ambrosi, ALPA president. “While this is a step in the right direction, whether it’s branded as ‘smart cockpits’ or extended minimum crew operations, removing pilots from the flight deck is a dangerous idea.”

FMI: www.easa.europa.eu