Issuance of a new package of flight and duty time limitations and rest requirements for U.S. airline flight crewmembers — years in the making — has been delayed again. The projected date for release of the final rule describing the new requirements is now Nov. 22.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) previously had planned to issue the final rule in early August. An FAA spokeswoman offered no details on the reasons for the delay, other than to say that the rule is “still under executive review.”
Under the proposed rule, U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations Part 121 air carrier pilots would be required to have a minimum of nine hours of rest before reporting for duty — in most cases, one more hour than currently required. Maximum allowable duty times and flight times would vary — depending on the number of pilots in the crew, the start time, number of flight segments and the existence of aircraft rest facilities. In most cases, however, maximum flight and duty t…
