The Sustainability of FAR Part 117: Flight and Duty Limitation and Rest Requirements for Flight Crewmembers

摘要

The Federal Aviation Administration addressed fatigue risk for Part 121 pilots in 14 C.F.R. Part 117, whichcame into effect in January 2014. Fatigue jeopardizes safety in the sense that it increases the likelihood forpilot error which could potentially lead to an accident. The new regulations recognize for the first time risksto safety such as changes to natural circadian rhythms and “jetlag”. A sustainability analysis was conductedfor the new rest requirements which required a systematic approach to address the four key components ofsustainability: economic, social, environmental, and organizational. This analysis primarily focuses onorganizational aspects of 14 C.F.R. Part 117 sustainability. This study analyzed responses from 53 selfidentifiednon-pilots (i.e. management, maintenance, safety personnel) to determine their perceptions of thenew rest requirements for pilots in the industry. The responses indicate that there is a slight increase inperceived overall safety; however, the respondents reported that this new regulation would have a slightlynegative effect on the organizational operations.