November 13, 2019
The TWU is leading a coalition representing 50,000 flight attendants to demand the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) immediately implement new rest rules for flight attendants. As part of that campaign, we filed comments to the FAA urging them move forward with this rule.
After years of struggle, flight attendants changed the law in October of 2018. Working with Congress, the TWU and others were able to increase the minimum amount of rest between shifts for these workers to 10 hours. Sadly, the Administration has declined to implement this law change and many flight attendants are still forced to perform safety critical operations while fatigued.
Current fatigue rules for flight attendants allow companies to schedule crews with as little as 8 hours off between landing and takeoff. During that time, these workers are required to clean an aircraft, check out of work, commute to their home or hotel, sleep, return to an airport, check in for work, and welcome passengers onboard. The result is that many flight attendants are scheduled to receive six hours of sleep or less for several days in a row.
The TWU will continue to lead this fight to ensure that all workers have the ability to arrive unfatigued and ready for work each day.