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APA Supports Changes To Address Controller Fatigue By Shane Nolan |
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May 1, 2011 - The Allied Pilots Association (APA),
certified collective bargaining agent for the 11,000
pilots of American Airlines, expressed support for the
decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to
institute changes in air traffic controller staffing
and scheduling in an effort to alleviate fatigue, and
urged similar regulatory reforms to commercial pilot
scheduling practices.
?We welcome the FAA?s actions to mitigate fatigue among
air traffic controllers and look forward to additional
measures that further address this critical safety issue
for controllers and other aviation professionals,? said
APA President Captain Dave Bates.
?Earlier this week we were reminded of the danger posed by fatigue when the National Transportation Safety Board issued its report on the January 2009 crash of a cargo plane in Lubbock, Texas. The NTSB cited pilot fatigue as a contributing factor in the accident. |
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?The NTSB has included the reduction of aviation accidents
caused by human fatigue on its ?most-wanted? list of
transportation safety improvements for two decades,? he said.
?It?s well past time for pilot flight- and duty-time regulations
to reflect current scientific knowledge about the impact of
fatigue on performance and how to address it.?
The FAA is scheduled to introduce revised pilot flight- and
duty-time rules later this year following a lengthy rulemaking
process. Existing flight- and duty-time rules have been in
effect for more than 50 years, predating the introduction of jet
airliners. The FAA reauthorization bill now being debated
includes an amendment to exempt some airline operations from the
forthcoming new regulations.
?We also join the NTSB and the Air Line Pilots Association in
urging lawmakers to refrain from agreeing to any carve-outs
where updated pilot flight- and duty-time regulations are
concerned,? Bates said.
?Policymakers should adhere to the FAA?s stated goal of ?one level of safety? for all carriers, particularly in light of today?s complex operating environment. Congested airspace, ultra-long-range flights crossing numerous time zones and circadian rhythm disruption all highlight the need for updated, uniform regulations.? |
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