Balpa would like the new regulations to be set at the tougher, UK level.

BBC: One in five pilots 'suffers cockpit fatigue'

But Mr Douglas denied this, saying Balpa's involvement was limited to scheduling issues.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Pilot shortage blamed in bias row

And the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) claims the number of incidents is far higher, happening on a daily basis nationwide.

BBC: Plane taking off

It is now considering the views of Balpa and the CAA before putting the final proposals before the Council of Ministers.

BBC: One in five pilots 'suffers cockpit fatigue'

The testing has been cautiously welcomed by Balpa, who say they are not entirely opposed to the development of unmanned flight technology.

BBC: The Jetstream unmanned aircraft

"Our members believed the government promise that the ID card would be voluntary, " said Jim McAuslan, general secretary of the pilots' union Balpa.

BBC: Manchester launch for ID cards

The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) has tabled a motion at the TUC conference asking politicians to meet a wide range of interested parties.

BBC: Call for helicopter safety summit

The planned airline is facing concerns from the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa), which is set to meet BA soon to discuss the issue further.

BBC: RELATED BBC SITES

Balpa, which commissioned the report, is warning that problems with fatigue could get worse under European proposals that would see the maximum flying time for UK pilots going up from 900 hours in a 12-month period to 1, 000 hours.

BBC: One in five pilots 'suffers cockpit fatigue'