Pilots Union Calls For Better-Defined Rest Periods

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), collective bargaining agent for the 13,500 pilots of American Airlines, called upon the Federal Aviation Administration over the weekend to guarantee rest for US pilots flying internationally as well as those flying domestically.
"We urge the FAA to comply with the National Transportation Safety Board's Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvement on Human Fatigue/Hours-of Work Policy," said Captain John E. Darrah, APA President.

Darrah's comments came during National Sleep Awareness Week (March 29 - April 4), which is a public awareness campaign sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation to promote the importance of quality sleep to health, productivity and safety.

Currently, US pilots flying domestically are limited under 14 CFR 121.471(b) to 16 hours of duty regardless of delays caused by weather, air traffic control, or maintenance. This provides a domestic pilot who is either flying or on-call with a guaranteed eight-hour rest period every 24 hours. A pilot flying internationally has no such guarantee and is effectively on duty for the airline 24 hours a day with no guaranteed rest. An international on-call pilot may be called to fly at any time during the day, whether rested or not.

"There is no difference between the two pilot groups other than where they fly, yet one group is unnecessarily exposed to much greater risk of fatigue-induced error," said Darrah.

The National Transportation Safety Board's Safety Recommendation to the FAA #A-99-045 states: "Establish within 2 years scientifically based hours-of-service regulations that set limits on hours of service, provide predictable work and rest schedules, and consider circadian rhythms and human sleep and rest requirements." Status of the recommendation is currently labeled "Open Unacceptable Response." The response notes that "the Safety Board has for many years documented the safety problem caused by operator fatigue in aviation and is frustrated by the FAA's lack of progress concerning this issue."

"We encourage the FAA to apply an equal rest standard to US pilots flying both domestically and internationally," said Darrah. "The FAA states that its mission is to 'provide a safe, secure, and efficient global aerospace system.' In keeping with this mission, equal duty time limits must be applied to all pilots so that the flying public is guaranteed a uniform level of safety wherever they fly."

FMI: www.alliedpilots.org