The Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) unveiled a comprehensive package of work rules for pilots on Friday. The landmark proposal would enact industry-wide restrictions on the amount of time a pilot can work, giving them longer rest periods in order to reduce pilot fatigue and improve safety.
The new rules come after nearly 40 years of false starts and pauses, as both the pilot unions and airlines fought against previous proposals.
The plan announced on Friday might be equally contentious. In order to maintain the delicate balancing act between the airlines and the pilot union, the FAA had to include rules that would be popular and unpopular for both sides.
Though neither and airlines nor the unions are entirely happy with the new proposal, the FAA is confident that there are enough compromises to appease both sides.
For the unions, the plan forces the airlines to establish realistic schedules for pilots and imposes penalties on airlines that try to bypass maximum workday limits. The rules would apply to pilots on charter planes as well.
Under the plan, pilots would receive nine hours of rest between workdays, up from eight hours. They would also be given more limits on the amount of overnight flying and short flights they can do. Overnight flying and short trips are known to be more likely to cause fatigue.
The plan, however, also gives the airlines more flexibility with pilot hours than before, a part of the proposal that is unpopular with the unions representing pilots. Under the proposal, pilots may be required to work longer hours, since the plan allows airlines to keep pilots on duty for 10 hours during the day, up from eight hours.
The plan also includes new ways for the airlines to keep pilots on the clock in case of unexpected delays like weather. This would allow airlines to violate the daily flying limits legally under special circumstances.
For passengers, the result of this plan would likely be a reduction of flight cancellations because of timed-out crews or because a crew had passed its legal flying limits.
The FAA claims that its methods are based on scientific knowledge of what causes fatigue and will ensure that pilots are well rested, despite the fact that the plan increases pilots’ hours in some instances.
Hearings for the FAA proposal start this week and an August 2012 deadline has been by set by Congress for revisions. If the plan is passed, the FAA predicts the rules would become effective in 2013 and cost the airline industry more than $1.2 billion.
By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: USA Today, Wall Street Journal, New York Times
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- FAA Fatigue Rules & Flight 3407 – Travel Detective Blog
- New Law Boosts Pilot Training, Airline Accountability
- CBS Evening News Special Report: Aviation Safety in America
- Aviation Safety in America: The Crash of Flight 3407
- Bill Boosts Pilot Training Requirements, But Will It Make Skies Safer?
- Airlines & Airports – Air Travel section
