The procedure for regulating the working and rest hours of aircraft crews on aircraft carrying out commercial air transportation is being determined.
elchi reports that this issue is reflected in the draft law on amendments to the Law “On Aviation”, which was discussed at today’s plenary session of the Milli Majlis.
According to the draft, the working and rest hours of aircraft crews on aircraft carrying out commercial air transportation, including flight time and flight duty time, will be regulated in accordance with the Law “On Aviation”, the international standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as the rules established by the body (organization) determined by the relevant executive authority, taking into account the following article.
The working hours of aircraft crews on aircraft carrying out commercial air transportation will be determined based on the following periods:
• maximum working hours in any 7 consecutive days;
• maximum working hours in any 14 consecutive days;
• maximum working hours in any 28 consecutive days;
• maximum working hours in any 1 calendar year.
The flight time of aircraft crews on aircraft carrying out commercial air transportation is determined based on the following periods:
• maximum flight hours in any 28 consecutive days;
• maximum flight hours in any 1 calendar year;
• maximum flight hours in any consecutive 12 calendar months.
The draft states that, according to the Labor Code, daily normal working hours cannot exceed 8 hours, and weekly normal working hours cannot exceed 40 hours. Weekly working hours for flight and flight instructor crews are set at 36 hours. When cumulative accounting is applied, daily working hours cannot exceed 12 hours, and 11 hours when falling within night time.
These restrictions make it impossible or economically inefficient to carry out flights to New York, Seoul, and other distant destinations lasting 13-14 hours, weakening their competitiveness.
The draft provides for adaptation to international standards in the field of fatigue management of aircraft crews with general working hour limits. The draft proposes to regulate the working and rest regimes of aviation crews with more flexible limits in accordance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization, as an exception to the general norms provided for in the Labor Code, by the rules of the Cabinet of Ministers.
In international practice (for example, in the USA and the European Union), working and rest periods for flight crews are regulated with more flexible limits for 7, 14, 28 consecutive days or 1 calendar year.
It was emphasized that the increase in economic efficiency will increase the competitiveness of local airlines in the international market and create conditions for the expansion of the flight network.
It should be noted that in connection with the adoption of the document, the rules on regulating flight time, working time, and rest time related to the fatigue management of aircraft crews carrying out commercial air transportation for aircraft will also be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
After discussions, the draft law was put to a vote and adopted in the third reading.