Transport Canada on Dec. 12 announced amendments to Canadian Aviation Regulations that prescribe new flight- and duty-time limits for airline pilots that align with current scientific data and international standards.
The amendments, published in the official Canada Gazette, Part II, provide fleet operators the option of implementing a Fatigue Risk Management System if they are constrained in meeting the new limits. Major carriers have two years to comply with the new requirements; smaller and regional airlines have four years.
Changes to flight- and duty-time limits dating to 1996 followed three years of consultations and meetings with airlines, small air operators, pilots, labor groups and associations to raise awareness about the new requirements, Transport Canada said.
“The government of Canada is committed to improving the safety of Canadians and to reducing fatigue-related risks in all transportation modes,” Transport Minister Marc Garneau said. “Transport Canada’s new regulations align with today’s scientific data, international standards and best practices, and respond to concerns raised by communities, pilots and airlines.”
Pilots previously were limited to flight-duty periods of 14 hrs. for aerial work and air taxi operations, or 13 hrs., 45 min. for commuter and airline operations—these have been scaled back to a maximum of 9-13 hrs. based on the start time of the day and sectors flown. Before, pilots could fly 1,200 hrs. in any 365 consecutive days; the new limit is 1,000 hrs.
The previous rest period was 8 hrs., plus time for meals and travel. The new rules call for 12 hrs. at home, 11 hrs. plus travel time, or 10 hrs. in a “suitable accommodation” provided by the air operator.
The new rules also establish that pilots can work a maximum of three nights in a row without a rest during the night, and up to five nights in a row if a rest is provided during night-time duty.
Amendments to “Fit for Duty” regulations prohibit a pilot from working within 12 hrs. of drinking alcohol, up from eight hrs. previously.
The alternative of adopting an approved Fatigue Risk Management System that exempts an operator from new limits recognizes “the unique operations and realities of Canadian air operators,” Garneau said.
Such a system would identify hazards, assess risk, develop mitigation strategies, provide fatigue-management training and education and use fatigue-monitoring systems. It is considered an option for operators of ultra-long-haul flights or flights serving northern and remote communities.
The US-based Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which represents pilots employed by US and Canadian airlines, welcomed the announcement. The new rules are the result of nearly a decade of lobbying the government, the union said.
“We’ve worked diligently to secure updated science-based, flight- and duty-time regulations,” ALPA Canada president Dan Adamus said. “While the regulations announced today do not address all of our concerns and recommendations, they are a significant improvement over the current rules and will improve aviation safety.”