Sat, Apr 30, 2011
Union Also Urges Reforms for Pilots
The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents the
11,000 pilots of American Airlines, said in a statement Friday it
supports the decision by the FAA to institute changes in air
traffic controller staffing and scheduling in an effort to
alleviate fatigue, and urged similar regulatory reforms to
commercial pilot scheduling practices.
“We welcome the FAA’s actions to mitigate fatigue
among air traffic controllers and look forward to additional
measures that further address this critical safety issue for
controllers and other aviation professionals,” said APA
President Captain Dave Bates. “Earlier this week we were
reminded of the danger posed by fatigue when the National
Transportation Safety Board issued its report on the January 2009
crash of a cargo plane in Lubbock, Texas. The NTSB cited pilot
fatigue as a contributing factor in the accident.
“The NTSB has included the reduction of aviation accidents
caused by human fatigue on its ‘most-wanted’ list of
transportation safety improvements for two decades,” he said.
“It’s well past time for pilot flight- and duty-time
regulations to reflect current scientific knowledge about the
impact of fatigue on performance and how to address it.”
The FAA is scheduled to introduce revised pilot flight- and
duty-time rules later this year following a lengthy rulemaking
process. Existing flight- and duty-time rules have been in effect
for more than 50 years, predating the introduction of jet
airliners. The FAA reauthorization bill now being debated includes
an amendment to exempt some airline operations from the forthcoming
new regulations.
“We also join the NTSB and the Air Line Pilots Association
in urging lawmakers to refrain from agreeing to any carve-outs
where updated pilot flight- and duty-time regulations are
concerned,” Bates said. “Policymakers should adhere to
the FAA’s stated goal of ‘one level of safety’
for all carriers, particularly in light of today’s complex
operating environment. Congested airspace, ultra-long-range flights
crossing numerous time zones and circadian rhythm disruption all
highlight the need for updated, uniform regulations.”
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