Continental, American Balk at New Rest Rules For International-Flight Crews
By ANDY PASZTOR
March 20, 2007
Continental Airlines Inc. and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines are balking at providing extra rest periods and other special safety measures for pilots who fly their longest international routes, just four months after rival Delta Air Lines Inc. agreed on such steps, industry and government officials say.
The crux of the argument is over the amount of rest necessary for pilots once aircraft arrive overseas. Airlines that keep pilots sitting idle for shorter periods at foreign destinations could enjoy significant labor-cost savings, thereby gaining a competitive edge over rivals. On the other hand, pilot unions and other critics worry the result may be an erosion of safety margins if tired crews have to cope with unusual or emergency situations.
LONG HAUL
• The News: American and Continental are balking at a government effort to increase rest time for cockpit crews on the longest flights.
• The Government's Concern: A shift to longer overseas flights could take a toll on pilots.
• The Airlines' Concern: The rules could reduce efficiency and hinder instead of improve safety.
With U.S. and foreign airlines relying increasingly on extended global routes that require pilots to spend longer-than-normal shifts in the cockpit, the outcome will indicate how U.S. carriers plan to handle pilot-rest issues in coming years. The latest arguments also will show how aggressively the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration intends to deal with fatigue-related hazards potentially affecting crews on so-called ultra-long-range flights.
Continental and American are resisting, among other things, FAA rules for an extra day of rest for pilots at some foreign destinations, according to industry officials. The airlines contend such requirements are unnecessary and may even be counterproductive.
In addition to emphasizing their excellent safety records on long-haul routes, American and Continental contend the FAA is using improper procedures to draft its new requirements and have filed separate petitions requesting formal rule-making. But after some early testy discussions starting in January, continuing negotiations may reach a resolution as early as April, according to these officials. A sore point with both carriers is that the agency wants to retroactively establish enhanced safety rules for existing routes, while last year's negotiations with Delta were concluded around the time Delta began flying the New York-Mumbai, India, run.
An American spokesman confirmed talks with the FAA are under way, adding that "the issue is not just about today's flying but all long-haul flights in the future." A Continental spokeswoman said the carrier "is working with the FAA" to develop rules reflecting its years of experience with ultra-long-range operations.
Current rules typically allow pilots to be scheduled behind the controls of passenger jets for no longer than eight hours in one workday. But some U.S. airlines are pushing to extend that limit, sometimes by 40 minutes or more, even as they tussle with regulators over how long crews should rest between long-range international flights.
Disputes about crew schedules on nonstop flights 16 hours or more -- typically connecting U.S. East Coast or Midwestern cities with destinations in India and China -- highlight the extent of the broader battle in this growing market segment. Such trips require a total of four pilots, so two can leave the cockpit to sleep and then return to relieve the others.
In November, Delta agreed to give its pilots flying from New York to Mumbai up to two full days of rest before returning. The FAA said this set a precedent it intended to apply to other carriers. It also included longer-than-usual mandatory rest periods before leaving the U.S., and an extended rest period at the end of such round trips. The FAA agreed a four-person cockpit crew was adequate, despite the fact that total duty time under some circumstances could exceed 20 consecutive hours.
Peggy Gilligan, an FAA safety official, said "there have been extensive discussions" with Continental and American, and details will be worked out on "a case by case basis." But, she said in an interview last week, "they will have to demonstrate to us how to mitigate the risk."
The latest disagreements also focus on whether the two carriers will follow Delta's lead by assigning two captains -- rather than the single captain and three co-pilots they currently use -- as part of four-pilot crews, industry officials said. The change carries important cost and training consequences. And American wants to avoid spending millions of dollars and taking certain long-range planes out of service in order to install additional berths for flight attendants.
Continental's longest nonstop route is from Newark, N.J., to Hong Kong. It has announced a longer route from Newark to Mumbai starting in late October. The spokeswoman said Continental wants the new rules for both flights to "reflect our six years' experience" on the Hong Kong run.
American, which has been flying from Chicago to New Delhi for less than two years, has told the FAA it should be exempted from some requirements because only about one-sixth of those flights run more than 16 hours.
Write to Andy Pasztor at [email protected]
By ANDY PASZTOR
March 20, 2007
Continental Airlines Inc. and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines are balking at providing extra rest periods and other special safety measures for pilots who fly their longest international routes, just four months after rival Delta Air Lines Inc. agreed on such steps, industry and government officials say.
The crux of the argument is over the amount of rest necessary for pilots once aircraft arrive overseas. Airlines that keep pilots sitting idle for shorter periods at foreign destinations could enjoy significant labor-cost savings, thereby gaining a competitive edge over rivals. On the other hand, pilot unions and other critics worry the result may be an erosion of safety margins if tired crews have to cope with unusual or emergency situations.
LONG HAUL
• The News: American and Continental are balking at a government effort to increase rest time for cockpit crews on the longest flights.
• The Government's Concern: A shift to longer overseas flights could take a toll on pilots.
• The Airlines' Concern: The rules could reduce efficiency and hinder instead of improve safety.
With U.S. and foreign airlines relying increasingly on extended global routes that require pilots to spend longer-than-normal shifts in the cockpit, the outcome will indicate how U.S. carriers plan to handle pilot-rest issues in coming years. The latest arguments also will show how aggressively the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration intends to deal with fatigue-related hazards potentially affecting crews on so-called ultra-long-range flights.
Continental and American are resisting, among other things, FAA rules for an extra day of rest for pilots at some foreign destinations, according to industry officials. The airlines contend such requirements are unnecessary and may even be counterproductive.
In addition to emphasizing their excellent safety records on long-haul routes, American and Continental contend the FAA is using improper procedures to draft its new requirements and have filed separate petitions requesting formal rule-making. But after some early testy discussions starting in January, continuing negotiations may reach a resolution as early as April, according to these officials. A sore point with both carriers is that the agency wants to retroactively establish enhanced safety rules for existing routes, while last year's negotiations with Delta were concluded around the time Delta began flying the New York-Mumbai, India, run.
An American spokesman confirmed talks with the FAA are under way, adding that "the issue is not just about today's flying but all long-haul flights in the future." A Continental spokeswoman said the carrier "is working with the FAA" to develop rules reflecting its years of experience with ultra-long-range operations.
Current rules typically allow pilots to be scheduled behind the controls of passenger jets for no longer than eight hours in one workday. But some U.S. airlines are pushing to extend that limit, sometimes by 40 minutes or more, even as they tussle with regulators over how long crews should rest between long-range international flights.
Disputes about crew schedules on nonstop flights 16 hours or more -- typically connecting U.S. East Coast or Midwestern cities with destinations in India and China -- highlight the extent of the broader battle in this growing market segment. Such trips require a total of four pilots, so two can leave the cockpit to sleep and then return to relieve the others.
In November, Delta agreed to give its pilots flying from New York to Mumbai up to two full days of rest before returning. The FAA said this set a precedent it intended to apply to other carriers. It also included longer-than-usual mandatory rest periods before leaving the U.S., and an extended rest period at the end of such round trips. The FAA agreed a four-person cockpit crew was adequate, despite the fact that total duty time under some circumstances could exceed 20 consecutive hours.
Peggy Gilligan, an FAA safety official, said "there have been extensive discussions" with Continental and American, and details will be worked out on "a case by case basis." But, she said in an interview last week, "they will have to demonstrate to us how to mitigate the risk."
The latest disagreements also focus on whether the two carriers will follow Delta's lead by assigning two captains -- rather than the single captain and three co-pilots they currently use -- as part of four-pilot crews, industry officials said. The change carries important cost and training consequences. And American wants to avoid spending millions of dollars and taking certain long-range planes out of service in order to install additional berths for flight attendants.
Continental's longest nonstop route is from Newark, N.J., to Hong Kong. It has announced a longer route from Newark to Mumbai starting in late October. The spokeswoman said Continental wants the new rules for both flights to "reflect our six years' experience" on the Hong Kong run.
American, which has been flying from Chicago to New Delhi for less than two years, has told the FAA it should be exempted from some requirements because only about one-sixth of those flights run more than 16 hours.
Write to Andy Pasztor at [email protected]
