COVID-related constraints and concerns have resulted in many operators being unable and/or unwilling to schedule normal rest periods for crew down route. Operators have sought to avoid onerous State restrictions to their operations and/or exposing their crew to increased risk of infection or having them subjected to invasive testing or quarantining. This has led to extensions well beyond established national flight and duty time limitations (FDTLs).
The world has now had time to adapt to the challenges that Covid-19 has presented. States are protecting their citizens with screening, quarantine and air traffic passenger reduction policies. Often these policies change at short notice, but this very changeability is now an expected situation. Airports and airport hotels are developing Covid-19 secure procedures and aviation activities are continuing, albeit at greatly reduced levels in many cases.
While the continuation of international operations remains essential, "normal" international operations are not urgent to a level that justifies the increased risk associated with significant extensions to FDTLs. Even the continued use of relatively minor extensions in the more-demanding context of COVID- operations (e.g. potential job loss, fear of infection, changed operational environment) can result in crew experiencing cumulative fatigue - with likely implications for their performance.
Operators now need to return to managing fatigue within existing FTDLs (or using an approved FRMS) and take the time to prepare for an increase in operational activity in the medium term. Regulators need to ensure that the management of overall fatigue risk and the safety of operations is maintained, taking into account the basic fatigue-related scientific principles and recognizing the extra burdens associated with operating in COVID-19 conditions.
This webpage provides guidance for regulators to support operators in returning to "normal" scheduling limits and practices while managing the fatigue risks during the transition back to more "normal ops" under the following headings:
