CNN
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Federal aviation officials announced Tuesday that flight attendants will soon have more mandatory rest time between flights.
Current FAA regulations require airlines to provide flight attendants with nine hours of rest after working less than 14 hours in most cases.
The new rules will increase the break time between shifts to 10 hours.
“Flight attendants, like all essential transportation workers, work hard every day to protect the safety of the traveling public, and we have their full support,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. There is an obligation to do so.” “These new rules will make it easier for our flight attendants to do their jobs, which will keep all of us safe in the skies.”
Flight attendant unions have been fighting hard for the changes, claiming flight attendants are extremely fatigued and overworked after long shifts of up to 14 hours.
Airlines were informed last week of the upcoming rule change by the Federal Aviation Administration, a person familiar with the policy said Monday.
The FAA has held public comment periods on proposed regulatory changes twice, in 2019 and 2021. The agency said it reviewed more than 1,000 comments.
The change was first approved by Congress in 2018, but was never implemented by the Trump administration.
Last week, House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) insisted that completing the rule before his soon-to-be retirement is a priority.
The final rule becomes effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
“It’s about time! As the aviation industry’s first responders and last line of defense, it’s important that we are well-rested and ready to carry out our mission.” Flight Attendants Association – CWA Chairman Sarah Nelson said in a statement.
“COVID-19 has exacerbated safety gaps with longer work days, shorter nights, and combat conditions on airplanes,” Nelson said.
2022 was a tough year for flight attendants, as demand surged as restrictions eased due to the pandemic.
Allie Maris, who is also the government relations representative for the Professional Flight Attendants Association, the union that represents American Airlines flight attendants, told CNN Travel this summer. About “uncomfortable” situations There, a flight attendant who missed his incoming flight finds himself sprinting through the airport to get to his next job.
Flight attendants say these conditions and unpredictable schedules take a toll on their mental and physical health.
The United States is not the only country where flight attendants say they are treated poorly.
“It’s not like the sickness level is through the roof and the fatigue level is through the roof. [flight attendants are] They are either refusing or protesting in some way. They just can’t keep up with constant change,” says British flight attendant Chris Major.
Top image: Passengers and flight attendants board a flight from LaGuardia Airport to Kansas City International Airport on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
