Pilot Flight Time and Rest

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will publish a notice in
the Federal Register on May 17 to reiterate its long-standing
interpretation of its pilot flight time and rest rules. The notice
informs airlines and flight crew members of the FAA's intent to
enforce its rules in accordance with the interpretation. In six
months, the FAA will review airline flight scheduling practices and
deal stringently with any violations it discovers.

Based on current information, the FAA is confident that, overall,
the airline industry complies with the current FAA rules on pilot
time limitations and rest requirements. However, in response to
concerns raised by the pilot community, FAA Administrator Jane
F. Garvey notified the aviation community on June 15, 1999 that
it had six months to ensure that it was in full compliance with the
agency's current flight time and rest requirements. Reviews of
airline scheduling practices conducted in December 1999 and
ongoing discussions with pilot unions and airlines confirm that the
vast majority of pilots are receiving the amount of rest required
by the FAA's rule.

On Nov. 20, 2000, the FAA responded to a letter from the Allied
Pilots Association that set forth specific scenarios that could
affect a very small number of all commercial pilots. The FAA's
response was consistent with the agency's long-standing
interpretation of the current rules. In summary, the FAA reiterated
that each flight crew member must have a minimum of eight
hours of rest in any 24-hour period that includes flight time. If a
pilot's actual rest was less than nine hours in the 24-hour period,
the next rest period must be lengthened to provide for the
appropriate compensatory rest.

Ensuring that all pilots, especially those on reserve duty, receive
adequate rest is key to maintaining a safe aviation system.
Based on discussions with airlines, the FAA does not anticipate
that the notice will result in major disruptions to airline schedules.
Some flights may be cancelled or delayed to ensure that pilots
have appropriate rest.