Canada Reviews Pilot Fatigue Rules

Transport Canada examines duty-time framework amid concerns over complexity.

Canada Reviews Pilot Fatigue Rules
[Credit: Air Canada]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Transport Canada is reviewing its 2018 pilot flight and duty time regulations, designed to curb pilot fatigue, following industry complaints about their complexity and inoperability.
  • The current framework reduced maximum flight hours for commercial pilots to 1,000 annually and set workday limits ranging from nine to 13 hours.
  • The review occurs amidst similar challenges faced by other countries, such as India and the United States, when introducing or adjusting pilot fatigue regulations, often meeting industry resistance.
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Canada’s transport regulator is reviewing its pilot flight and duty time regulations following complaints from industry groups that the rules are overly complex. Transport Canada said it has been examining the regulations, which are designed to curb pilot fatigue, in consultation with pilots and air operators, according to Reuters.

The current framework took effect in 2018 and lowered the maximum number of flight hours for commercial pilots to 1,000 over 365 days, down from 1,200, while setting maximum workdays ranging from nine to 13 hours depending on start time. Since their introduction, industry participants have raised concerns about the “complexity and inoperability of the current framework,” the regulator said. 

The review comes as other countries continue to address pilot fatigue regulations. India’s aviation regulator recently granted a one-time exemption from new night-duty rules to its largest carrier following flight cancellations tied to scheduling issues, a move that drew criticism from pilot groups. Similar resistance was seen in the United States when new fatigue rules were introduced in 2011, with industry groups warning at the time of significant costs and potential job losses.

Matt Ryan

Matt is AVweb's lead editor. His eyes have been turned to the sky for as long as he can remember. Now a fixed-wing pilot, instructor and aviation writer, Matt also leads and teaches a high school aviation program in the Dallas area. Beyond his lifelong obsession with aviation, Matt loves to travel and has lived in Greece, Czechia and Germany for studies and for work.
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