Heavy workload for airline pilots can cause smoking

Chinese airlines should reduce the workload of their pilots to remove the biggest reason aviators smoke in their cockpit, industry insiders said.

Shi Jian, senior editor at Aviation World Monthly magazine, said that as far as he knows, most Chinese pilots who have lit up inside the cockpit did so because they were exhausted and wished to have a cigarette for refreshment.

"There are too many airline pilots who are being overworked by their employers. It's not uncommon for some of them to fly in consecutive shifts with little rest," Shi said. "Smoking is not good and unhealthy, but airline management should consider how much an excessive workload and lengthy flights contribute to smoking in the cockpit, and how to resolve this problem."