Canada Pilot Fatigue Rules To Start In 2018

Proposed Canadian rules to ensure commercial pilots get enough rest would go into effect in 2018 for WestJet Airlines and Air Canada but apply to smaller carriers only in 2021, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said.

The new regulations would reduce a pilot's working day from up to a 14 hour shift to a period of nine to 13 hours, depending on the time they start and number of flights they make while on duty, Dan Adamus, president of ALPA's Canadian board said in an interview.

Pilots who start late at night and make several flights would work a shorter period of time, he said, adding that specific details about exact shifts were not yet known.

Small Canadian carriers would have four years to apply the regulations after 2017, while large operators would have a year to comply. ALPA is urging Transport Canada to make the regulations applicable to all carriers within a year, regardless of size.

"A pilot is a pilot. Fatigue is fatigue," Adamus said. "It should be one year for everybody."

Some Canadian pilots, especially those working for small airlines, can be scheduled to work for up to 14 hours, while in the United States, Australia, the European Union and India, shifts range from nine to 13 hours depending on time of day.

On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Air Canada said the carrier supports the current review of regulations, but declined to comment on the proposed changes because the rules have not yet been made public.