The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published a proposal to amend EU rules regarding flight and duty time limitations and rest requirements for commercial air transport.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published a proposal to amend EU rules regarding flight and duty time limitations and rest requirements for commercial air transport.
The proposal, dubbed an ‘Opinion’, contains more than thirty changes and introduces new limitations to the ways that crews can be scheduled.
According to the organisation, the Opinion takes into account the issue of fatigue and its effects on performance. It calls for reduced duty periods at night, increased rest for flights that cross time zones, and introduces new rules for limiting crew standby.
EASA analysed more than fifty scientific studies and consulted stakeholder groups including flight and cabin crew organisations, airlines, and Member State representatives throughout the process.
The Opinion will now enter the legislative process. It will be finalised by the European Commission and must be approved by Member States, with Parliamentary scrutiny. The new rules are expected to be adopted into EU law after mid-2013 and fully implemented by the end of 2015.
