Wants Rules To Apply To ALL Carriers

The Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, is pointing to National Transportation Safety Board findings in asking the FAA to "interpret and update" its regulations on realistic scheduling.

The union tells the Dallas Morning News the pilot fatigue noted in NTSB reports stems from inadequate time between flights to get to hotels in time for a good night's sleep, workdays extended by weather and mechanical delays, and inadequate reserve officers to step in when international flights take longer than expected.

The union is asking the FAA to interpret existing regulations on scheduling and to create, "new, realistic scheduling and crew augmentation regulations to combat fatigue and maintain safety-based flight operations."

APA president Lloyd Hill tells the paper that the existing regulations have been a source of confusion for 50 years, and FAA clarification is needed, "...to reflect our greater understanding of the link between duty time and pilot fatigue."

The union appears to acknowledge that negotiating more pilot rest directly in its contract with American could raise costs, which might put the airline at a competitive disadvantage. Asking the FAA to address the issue through regulation instead would cause any changes to apply to all airlines.

FMI: www.alliedpilots.org, www.faa.gov