The International Federation of Airline Pilots Association(IFALPA) and International Air Transport Association( IATA) have worked together to prepare a joint statement calling on Operators to return to the use of existing flight and duty time limits (FTLs) or an approved Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS), as international operations start to recover.

International Civil Aviation Organisation( ICAO) introduced alleviations, or temporary exceptions to existing regulations, to support the continuation of urgent operations in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 As such, extensions to FTLs were granted for rare and exceptional circumstances seen at the beginning of the pandemic

As the situation is now more predictable, Operators are encouraged to work within the existing FTLs, or approved FRMS, and make adaptive mitigations as necessary to avoid extensions.

Pilot Associations are encouraged to use this joint statement to open or continue dialogue with their operators to collaborate on suitable adaptive fatigue mitigations for safe operations.

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations represents over 100,000 pilots in nearly 100 countries world-wide.

IFALPA is the global voice of professional pilots, providing representation, services, and support to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide.