10.04.22 – Government Affairs Update: 10-Hour Rest Provision Clears Final Hurdles

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

10-Hour Rest Provision Clears Final Hurdles

After years of delays, APFA received word that the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) legislation, which increases Flight Attendant FAR rest from eight hours minimum rest hours to ten hours, will be implemented in early 2023. The 10-hour minimum rest regulation passed as part of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Bill four years ago. However, in 2018, the former Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary determined that the regulation had to go through an arduous rulemaking process, delaying its implementation. Congress was clear in their bipartisan and near-unanimous passage of the 10-hour rest rule – in truth, we should have never had to wait this long for implementation.

The past two and a half years have been incredibly trying for Flight Attendants who have had to work through the pandemic only to face longer days, more flights, more reschedules, and more disruptions. In a profession with early mornings, late nights, and changing time zones, Flight Attendants are highly susceptible to fatigue. Proper rest is critical in our safety-sensitive profession.

The FAR 10-hour minimum rest is calculated from release to report. The 10-hour minimum rest FAR will require that our schedules are built with more than 10-hour rest periods to protect trip continuity in the event of a delay. Additionally, certain JCBA pay protections apply when scheduling disruptions result in less than 8-hour FAR minimum rest, so with this change, pay protections that require you to drop to FAR minimums will be triggered at 10 hours instead of 8 hours. More information will be forthcoming as we approach full and final implementation.

APFA Government Affairs Representatives, along with our Union siblings at the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), have worked on the implementation of this critical legislation since the FAA Reauthorization Bill passed in 2018. APFA also recognizes and is grateful for the work of DOT Secretary Buttigieg, FAA Acting Administrator Nolen, President Biden, T&I Committee Chair DeFazio, and our many allies in Congress for helping get this crucial legislation across the finish line.

This is a milestone day for Flight Attendants. In 2018, you called Congress, urging them to pass this provision. In the following years, you came to Washington to pressure elected officials to speed up implementation. You participate in the APFA PAC. Behind the scenes, APFA sent numerous rounds of comments to the DOT and engaged with the FAA during all the times in between. While there is still much work to be done, take a moment to celebrate and acknowledge what Flight Attendants can do when we activate and work together.

Legislation isn’t the only avenue to improving our profession and work life. We are in active contract negotiations, and through our unity, we can make gains there, too. Legislate AND negotiate.

Stay informed, stay involved.

In Solidarity,

Allie Malis
APFA Government Affairs Representative

Lori Glattly
APFA Government Affairs Representative

[email protected]