In a letter to members of the U.S. Senate, IAM International President Bob Martinez urged them to include language in its FAA reauthorization bill that mirrors the Flight Attendant Fatigue amendment adopted by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“The current FAA rest minimum for flight attendants, even after a 14-hour duty day, is 9 hours, which can be reduced to 8 hours,” said Martinez. “As the Committee moves forward in developing an FAA bill that improves aviation safety, it must include language that addresses flight attendant fatigue. This issue directly affects the health and safety of all flight attendants and the flying public.”
IAM members from around the country recently scored a major political victory in the House of Representatives when amendments were included in the Aviation Innovation Reform Reauthorization Act of 2016 (AIIR). Those amendments would mandate a minimum of 10 hours rest for Flight Attendants and make it a felony to assault a Customer Service Agent.
“The time is now for the Senate to act and recognize that Flight Attendants deserve adequate rest,” said General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “Flight Attendants are the front-line defense in our nation’s air transport system and we must ensure they are prepared for any emergency.”
