The Air Line Pilots Association says Airbus is proposing adding a toilet to the flight deck of its aircraft to eliminate the need for relief pilots and pave the way for single pilot operations or Extended Minimum Crew Operations (eMCO). According to paddleyourowncanoe.com, the planemaker wants to put the open potty behind the captain's seat and perhaps install a radio console beside it so the otherwise indisposed can stay in contact with the outside world. As might be expected, pilot unions are dumping all over the plan. "Think about that for a moment; that's no-pilot ops," the publication quoted an unnamed ALPA source as saying regarding the issue at a recent meeting of its board of directors.
Consider 9/11. A few terrorists with easily concealed boxcutters destroyed the lives of thousands of humans and directly affected the families of hundreds of thousands. The aftermath has affected everyone on this planet that travels. It is irresponsible of Airbus or any other transportation related business to remove half the security and safeguards to save a few shekels for an investor. A sad day that we have come to contemplate this proposal. Emphatically no to single pilot ops for airlines. Lest we forget…
Airbus posed this a few years ago, but for freighters. But we can be sure that they would want to extend it to two pilot operations and make them single pilot.
Safety is the issue. All pilots make occasional mistakes and the second pilot is there to catch it. Equipment failures occur and it takes two to sort it out …
I started jet flying in a Citation 500 single pilot and I was buzzed with the speed - but it really takes two because things happen very fast.