A German pilots’ union has raised alarm over what it described as a “serious fatigue crisis” in the aviation sector, warning that in-flight napping has become a regular practice among cockpit crews.

The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union, which represents around 10,000 pilots, trainees and cockpit staff, said a recent internal survey of more than 900 pilots revealed that 93 percent admitted to falling asleep during flights in recent months.

According to the survey, 12 percent said they nap on every flight, 44 percent reported doing so regularly, 33 percent occasionally, while 3 percent described it as a one-off. Another 7 percent said they could “no longer count” how often they had napped in the cockpit.

“What began as a short-term recovery measure has now become a permanent coping mechanism under structural pressure,” said Katharina Dieseldorff, vice-president of the union.

Dieseldorff cautioned that while a brief nap is not inherently dangerous, the deeper problem lies in “permanently exhausted cockpit crews,” which she described as a “serious safety risk.”

The union pointed to staff shortages, long hours, and growing operational demands — particularly during peak summer travel periods — as major drivers of pilot fatigue.

It defined cockpit napping as “controlled rest phases during the flight,” but warned the trend showed the strain pilots are facing.