New FAA Rest Rules may be back on track

[General Lee]

U.S. Airline Pilot-Rest Plan May Advance With Lawmaker Move

By John Hughes - May 20, 2011 9:28 AM MT Bloomberg

A proposed U.S. regulation that would require additional rest for airline pilots may advance after Representative Bill Shuster withdrew legislation he had added to a Federal Aviation Administration budget plan.

The amendment would have stalled the rest rule, according to safety advocates and pilot unions. Shuster’s action may speed agreement on a FAA budget plan being negotiated by House and Senate lawmakers. The Shuster plan was one of a handful of provisions that needed to be resolved.

“It is apparent that the inclusion of my amendment in the FAA bill may slow down conference negotiations and delay the adoption of this critical legislation to dramatically reform and streamline” FAA programs, Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican, said in an e-mailed statement.

Shuster’s proposal was added April 1, by a 215-209 vote, to a $59.7 billion FAA budget plan. The FAA legislation is more than three years overdue, forcing the agency to operate on 18 extensions of the most recent aviation-funding law.

The FAA proposed a rule last year that would give airline pilots nine hours of rest between shifts, a 13 percent increase from current schedules. The plan also requires that pilots get at least 30 consecutive work-free hours a week, a 25 percent increase from existing rules.




Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[densoo]

Fantastic. Looking forward to the hiring that's going to happen.

 

[Jetjockey]

I'm looking forward to not being forced to deal with 6 hours of sleep on a 8 hour reduced rest!

 

[jonjuan]

You're welcome. Love, ALPA.

 

[FR8mastr]

I'm looking forward to not being forced to deal with 6 hours of sleep on a 8 hour reduced rest!

How do you manage to get 6 hours of shut eye on an 8 hour overnight? I am lucky to pull off 4 or 5 hours on a good night.

 

[densoo]

How do you manage to get 6 hours of shut eye on an 8 hour overnight? I am lucky to pull off 4 or 5 hours on a good night.

While it could be better, this is an improvement in two ways. It's not only nine hours, but it's not measured block in to block out. I believe it's from hotel checkin to crew show time at the plane. Big difference.

 

[list2002]

Still... believe it when I see it.

 

[TDK90]

There's a 2 year implementation period, I wouldn't count on imminent improvements..

 

[SSDD]

I can't remember the last time I had an overnight of less than 9 hrs. So the only way this would be an improvement is if it is as has been stated: hotel check in to airport show time. Otherwise its the same old pig, different lipstick.

 

[densoo]

"the FAA believes that time in transit is not rest"

p.85 of the NPRM.

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/recently_published/media/FAA_2010_22626.pdf

 

[list2002]

Continental doesn't...

 

[waveflyer]

No one does-
Under current regs 'transportation local in nature' counts as free from duty

 

[densoo]

No one does-
Under current regs 'transportation local in nature' counts as free from duty

doesn't united have 10 hours behind the door?

 

[Raoul Duke]

transcon turns will be a nice payday!

 

[waveflyer]

Contractual is different than regs-
Big players can make things happen and expend negotiating capital on safety and rest, instead of using that capital on $$ items. But the smaller carriers will always have scheduled reduced rest as long as it's legal and will be pressured to work fatigued.

 

[densoo]

the smaller carriers will always have scheduled reduced rest as long as it's legal and will be pressured to work fatigued.

And that's why the work is being outsourced. FAA rules that prevent the rest abuse may make outsourcing of labor less cost effective, thus causing some of the flying to return to the major carrier, thus getting some jobs for those who have been on the bottom for too long.

 

[IBNAV8R]

I can't remember the last time I had an overnight of less than 9 hrs. So the only way this would be an improvement is if it is as has been stated: hotel check in to airport show time. Otherwise its the same old pig, different lipstick.

Needs to be check-in to check out. This "transportation, local in nature" doesn't seem to account for the growing trend of shuttles that ONLY leave at 30 minute intervals. At some airports, you might have to leave the hotel more than an hour before show time, because of length of drive, airport layout, security, etc.

 

[densoo]

Needs to be check-in to check out. This "transportation, local in nature" doesn't seem to account for the growing trend of shuttles that ONLY leave at 30 minute intervals. At some airports, you might have to leave the hotel more than an hour before show time, because of length of drive, airport layout, security, etc.

I totally agree. Let's define rest as rest. Check-in to check-out, whatever time they come up with, that becomes a sterile period. No transportation, no security, no duties, nothing in that period. Even if they made this sterile period only 8 hours at least it would be a fence around rest that no one could waive, touch, infringe upon, no matter what irregular operation du jour is going on. It would be the Whitlow Rule.

 

[CA1900]

Exactly. When a cost (unavailability for duty) is attached, airlines won't be so quick to pick a hotel 29 minutes away to save $8 a night, while they steal an hour of the crew's rest (round-trip) in the process.

 

[densoo]

Exactly. When a cost (unavailability for duty) is attached, airlines won't be so quick to pick a hotel 29 minutes away to save $8 a night, while they steal an hour of the crew's rest (round-trip) in the process.

Geez, louise, you hit the nail on the head on that one.