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U.S. regulator advocates longer rest periods for flight attendants
October 22nd 2021
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to extend to 10 hours the minimum flight attendant rest requirement between duty shifts. Read More » This week, the FAA proposed a regulation that required 10 consecutive hours of rest for a duty period of 14 hours or less, up from nine hours. The Biden administration said the proposal would contribute to a safer, healthier workplace for flight attendants. “Flight attendants play a critical safety role in keeping passengers safe on every flight and especially in emergencies,’’ FAA Administrator, Steve Dickson, said. “This proposal helps reduce fatigue so they can perform this critical role.” Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International president, Sara Nelson, said the U.S. Congress had mandated 10 hours irreducible rest for flight attendants in October 2018 but it had been delayed by the Trump Administration. “Flight attendant fatigue is real,” she said. “It is documented with congressionally mandated fatigue studies and other major health studies. COVID-19 has exacerbated the safety gap with long duty days, short nights and combative conditions on planes.”
