U.S. FAA Requires Longer Rest Periods For Flight Attendants

U.S. FAA Requires Longer Rest Periods For Flight Attendants

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has passed a new rule that is intended to help flight attendants do their jobs more effectively and safely. This new rule requires all flight attendants to rest for a full 10 consecutive hours between work shifts. The previous requirement was 9 consecutive hours.

The FAA states that this new rule applies to flight attendants on flag, domestic, and supplemental flights that are required to work for 14 hours or more. The President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Sara Nelson, states that this new rule is similar to that that is in effect for commercial airline pilots.

This rule also helps to reduce the number of circumstances that airlines can utilize to reduce flight attendants’ mandatory rest time. Since flight attendants perform critical roles in the safe travel of millions of people each year, it’s thought that his new rule is imperative to keeping these flight attendants at the top of their games.

flight attendant walking through the airport

This announcement was public at the Reagan National Airport by acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen. It’s set to officially take effect in just 90 short days. Nelson, whose union is a collective of 19 carriers and over 50,000 attendants, has said that this new rule was a long time in the making.

The FAA is considered an operating model of the United States Department of Transportation. Starting operations on December 31, 1958, it has grown to become the largest transportation agency in the United States Government. This federal agency is all about creating safe and effective air travel for citizens both in the country and those traveling internationally.