Ensure that Pilots are Rested and Ready to Perform their Jobs Even in Difficult Economic Times
Current U.S. federal rules setting flight-time/duty-time limits and minimum rest requirements are a patchwork of regulations that have been developed over the past 60 years. For example, the rules that are usually applied to air cargo operations (the supplemental rules) were developed more than 50 years ago for unscheduled freight operations using piston-powered airplanes.
Because the FAA’s flight- and duty-time rules are inadequate and antiquated, they were frequently buttressed in the airline industry by collective bargaining agreements. However, such agreements affect only a part of the U.S. airline industry and do not result in uniform flight- and duty-time limits and rest requirements in all operations. This puts pressure on operators to reduce flightcrew rest in an insatiable drive to increase “productivity” and reduce workforce costs. This pressure is particularly intense during economic downturns.
The Canadian aviation regulations are deficient in that they do not set any limit on the number of flying hours per day. They also permit extending the maximum flight duty day from 14 to 17 hours.
ALPA calls for updating airline flight/duty/rest practices based upon scientifically demonstrated human performance limitations, rather than on economic misperceptions.