The Federal Aviation Administration issued a final rule on Tuesday that will increase the rest period for flight attendants from 10 consecutive hours.
Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement that flight attendants like all essential transportation workers, they work hard every day to keep the traveling public safe. The new rule will make it easier for flight attendants to do their jobs, which in turn will keep all of us safe in the air. The Association of Flight Attendants has fought for a longer break between shifts because of the final rule. The trade group represents nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 19 airlines.
In 2018, Congress asked the FAA to raise the minimum rest requirement for flight attendants with scheduled duty of 14 hours or less and remove a provision that allowed rest to be reduced in certain circumstances. The flight attendants are allowed to rest nine hours in a row.
It took us a lot of time, but we are finally here," Billy Nolen, acting FAA administrator, said at a news conference at the Reagan Washington National Airport, where he was flanked by more than a dozen flight attendants and Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
Nelson said in a statement that "we won t forget how we achieved this major regulatory change for minimum rest." Flight attendants need this rest to do their jobs. We won't rest in our work to ensure the safest transportation system in the world for all of the people within it. Since the emergence of the COVID- 19 pandemic, flight crews have been dealing with an increase in unruly passengers. Airlines reported fewer incidents since the federal requirement to wear face masks on flights ended in April.
As of Sept. 20, the FAA reported 1,973 reports of unruly passengers year to date. The agency has initiated 680 related investigations and 468 enforcement action cases.
Airline safety is a priority for airlines, and having rested and alert flight attendants who are prepared to carry out their responsibilities, including cabin safety and other duties, is a priority, according to a trade group representing the largest U.S. airlines. The group said it supports scientifically validated and data-driven countermeasures to prevent fatigue.