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Airline Pilots To Get More Rest But New Rules Will Mean More Delays

Dennis Schaal photo
Dennis Schaal

Photo Credit: The FAA has made sweeping changes to the way pilots work, revamping rest requirements. Pictured, pilots from the Southwest Airline Pilots Association and Airline Pilots Asspociation gather to sign a seniority integration agreement, November 8, 2011. Southwest

Skift Take

The new FAA rules on pilot rest could lead to more flight delays and cancellations, but ensuring that pilots in the cockpit aren't nodding off because they are excessively tired is sensible and worth it.

It won't be much solace for airline passengers caught up in weather delays or other disruptions, but when they finally get back into the air, their pilots should be considerably more rested under new rules that went into effect January 1. Over the last year, the FAA has executed one of its most far-ranging rewrites of the way pilots get hired and carry out their duties, including a revamp of hiring practices, training mandates, and starting in 2014, pilot rest rules. All of these changes stem in part from the investigation of the February 2009 crash of Colgan Air flight 3407, which found that the pi

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