Emirates rubbishes profits before safety claim

Emirates Airlines dismissed claims that it was putting profits before safety regarding its management of pilots' fatigue risk.

The Dubai carrier said it "strongly refuted" press reports from Australia that alleged its pilots had voiced concerns that "safety is becoming increasingly impaired".

Richard Vaughan, Emirates’ divisional senior vice president, Commercial Operations Worldwide, said in a statement: "Emirates reiterates its absolute commitment to safety. Emirates is a world leader in the management of pilot fatigue and alertness.

"Our Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) continuously monitors pilot alertness across a broad spectrum of international destinations, varying crew configurations and regulatory requirements."

He added: "Emirates is surprised that objective data provided by it was not included [in the report], and one-sided articles were published based on statements from anonymous persons."

His comments came in response to an article in the Melbourne-based Sunday Herald Sun which cited internal emails between Emirates pilots and airline executives.

But Vaughan added: "Unlike other carriers, Emirates uses two Captains and two First Officers on its long-haul flights. Most other airlines have only one Captain and two First Officers.

"Responsibility for preventing the onset of fatigue rests both on the operator and crew."

The paper claimed the fatigue factor had contributed to a near-fatal accident at Melbourne Airport back in March.

But Vaughan said: "The crew of EK 407 (Melbourne-Dubai, 20 March) were allocated a 24-hour layover in Melbourne - a sufficient time period to use the rest facilities provided. When it released its preliminary report on the event, the Australian Transport & Safety Bureau indicated it had not found any evidence to suggest fatigue was a causal factor."

He added: "Emirates has a positive and open reporting culture that helps management understand safety issues before they become significant concerns."