US pilot fatigue rules may not hurt Gulf carriers

Gulf airlines are unlikely to see any drawbacks from new US regulations overhauling the minimum number of hours’ rest pilots must receive before flights, Arabian Business has learned. US transportation secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acting administrator Michael Huerta recently announced sweeping changes to the amount of rest pilots must be given before entering the cockpit of a commercial passenger airline. "Every pilot has a personal responsibility to arrive at work fit for duty. This new rule gives pilots enough time to get the rest they really need to safely get passengers to their destinations," said Huerta. However, Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, said Gulf carriers were unlikely to be negatively impacted by the stipulations. “From my understanding, this is primarily aimed at US pilots. There doesn't seem to be any mention of adverse affects on non US pilots since their flight origins would be outside the USA and subject to their own national guidelines,” he said. Under new rules, the FAA limits flight time - when the plane is moving under its own power before, during or after flight - to eight or nine hours depending on the start time of the pilot's entire flight duty period. The rules sets a ten-hour minimum rest period of uninterrupted sleep between shifts and also stipulates that if a pilot reports he or she is fatigued and unfit for duty, the airline must remove that pilot from duty immediately.  “Safety at Emirates is the number one priority and this includes the safety and care of our flight crew. Emirates maintains a well-established and industry-leading Fatigue Risk Management System. As such, the new FAA regulations will not impact our current operations,” Captain Alan Stealey, divisional senior vice president of flight operations at the Dubai-based carrier, told Arabian Business. Ahmad said most flights from the US to the GCC usually have more than three to four pilots already. The issue was raised in the US when the Department of Transportation identified the issue of pilot fatigue as a top priority in 2009 following an investigation into the crash of Colgan Air flight 3407.  The estimated cost of this rule to the aviation industry is $297m but the benefits are estimated between $247- $470m, the report said.