There is a rising threat to flight crews' physical and mental health as the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs into 2021. Recent cases of pilots collapsing highlighted the issue of crew members getting caught in an endless cycle between flying and quarantining. The Pilots Union Taoyuan said such working conditions are unacceptable.
One foreign EVA Air pilot returning to Taiwan recently after a long-haul flight was found confirmed with COVID-19 during the quarantine period. He has been fully vaccinated and was about to finish quarantine and move onto self-health management after being PCR-tested negative on the fifth day. Other than being a case of breakthrough infection, the truth came out that the foreign pilot was also appointed to fly during the quarantine period from a previous flight. This case has brought to the attention of the Pilots Union Taoyuan.
Chang Chih-hao, Retired pilot: “Quarantine policies say that flight crews are not allowed to leave the quarantine hotel for five days, so how can they be appointed to fly for work during that time? It doesn’t put the community at large at risk but it puts other crew members and airport staff at risk. There could be cross-infections ”
A retired pilot said that most pilots now are busy flying cargo flights to-and-from the US since they are more profitable during the pandemic. Pilots are extremely stressed from being caught in the endless cycle between flying and quarantining. The government should consider setting up a special “quarantine park” for flight crews so they can live more of a “normal” life during the pandemic, one retired pilot suggested. A Venezuelan pilot working for a Taiwan airline company was found dead at his Taoyuan residence on Sat. Oct. 23 after returning home from quarantine, before which he flew a long haul flight. Flight crews need help and support for their physical and mental health. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) promised to communicate with the Civil Aeronautics Administration in resolving this problem.
Shih Chung-liang, Deputy Minister, MOHW: “If the problem of working long hours persists, I think the Civil Aeronautics Administration will have talks with airline companies and try to adjust their flight schedules and flight crew shifts.”
Li Hsin-yen, Chairperson, Pilots Union Taoyuan: “It will only put us more at risk for catching the disease if we were to fly non-stop. Contact tracing becomes extremely difficult since pilots fly to so many different countries and airports. They come in contact with so many people that it's hard to pinpoint where exactly the source of infection is.”
The Pilots Union Taoyuan plans to launch a yellow ribbon movement to make the following demand: Pilots should not be assigned to fly during their quarantine period so they fully rest, as their health relates to flight safety.
一名長榮航空外籍機師，在執勤長班後，返台進行居家檢疫，因完整施打兩劑疫苗，原本在第五天PCR陰性後，可出關自主健康管理，卻被驗出確診，機師工會掌握這起突破性感染個案，因為在檢疫期間，曾經被派飛，將匡列多名工作接觸者。
國籍航空退役機師張志豪表示:「這五天你說他被關在檢疫旅館不能出門，可是你卻能派飛，或許你這種做法可以阻止危險的因子，傳播到我們社區裡面，可是你並沒有辦法阻擋在機組員之間，甚至跟我們機場或是航空公司，工作人員之間的互相傳播。」
退役機師認為，目前航空公司貨運航線利潤高，機師被頻繁派飛美國繁忙機場，空中執勤壓力很大，但面對染疫風險，不斷被「關起來」檢疫，無法紓壓，建議政府可以考慮設置專門「檢疫園區」，讓機組員可以在「限定範圍內過正常生活」。由於日前，國籍航空才發生機師猝死案件，機組員身心健康議題再度被討論，衛福部承諾協調民航局來檢視。
衛福部常務次長石崇良表示:「如果真的是因為長期工作的問題存在的話，我想交通部民航局會再跟航空公司，進行了解之後，如果必要來調整這些所謂的輪班，或者是執飛的情形。」
桃園市機師工會理事長李信燕表示:「再連續派飛，增加了我們染疫的可能性，還有在做疫調的時候，因為連續派飛，飛過了很多不同的國家跟機場，那麼再做疫調，你很難去判斷，到底可能問題的根源，是在哪一個地方染疫的。」
面對機組員猝死和確診事件，桃園市機師工會將發起「黃飄帶行動」，機師工會認為，組員的身心健康是「飛安問題」，訴求能在居檢期間不派飛、保有「喘息期」。
