The Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA) recently urged the Canadian House of Commons for stricter, up-to-date fatigue rules for pilots.
The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities will evaluate the current laws.
A notice of intent was published in April. The committee, however, has bent to industry pressure, the ALPA said, and loosened several key provisions. This has created loopholes that allow Canada regulations to fall below the rest of the world.
“Updating flight time/duty time and minimum rest requirements is one of the most important aviation safety initiatives for flight crews in Canada, and new rules are long overdue,” ALPA Canada President Dan Adamus said. “However, recent efforts to weaken proposed rules are unacceptable. We cannot continue to let Canada fall behind on this vital step forward for aviation safety.”
Last year, proposed rules would have gone into effect for Air Canada and WestJet Airlines in 2018 and smaller carriers in 2021. These rules would have shortened the work day from 14 hours to 9-13 hours, inline with global standards.
Critics saoid fatigue laws are arbitrary, that science does not have specific definition of fatigue and that fatigue can be affected by such factors as how far pilots must commute to work.