Safer Skies Takes Flight in Canada
By Corey Kuhn, Contributing Writer
There’s one aspect regarding fatigue that’s unarguable—it affects all human beings. Typically, we’re more alert when the sun is up, and our performance is more enhanced during daylight hours. Conversely, we become more at risk for fatigue-related errors as the length of our workday increases and when we’re required to work overnight. Pilots are particularly vulnerable to fatigue-related issues, as the profession often requires long shifts, frequently overnight, and involves traversing time zones and sleeping in different locations for days or even weeks at a time.
For decades, ALPA has been working with U.S. and Canadian regulators to make progress on this issue. In 2011, the FAA made sweeping changes to flight- and duty-time regulations, implementing a science-based approach to ensure that pilots are well rested for duty. Although the updated regulations don’t yet apply to cargo operations, which ALPA is working to remedy, they’re a positive step forward. In recent years, the international aviation community has also taken steps to evaluate and update flight- and duty-time for airline pilots.
Unfortunately, Canada is one of the few countries that has yet to enact real change on this front. In spite of ALPA’s continued urging, Transport Canada has been slow to adopt new rules. For more than six years, Canadian officials have been working on new fatigue rules that would bring the country in line with U.S. and EU regulations. Frustrated by the lack of progress and discouraged by the recent proposed changes, pilots from across Canada recently joined together to take a stand and call on the government to enact stronger fatigue rules for all Canadian commercial pilots. As the largest pilot union in Canada, ALPA has joined a coalition of several Canadian pilot groups to launch “Safer Skies,” a public-awareness campaign to alert parliamentarians that it’s past time for needed change to protect all pilots and passengers.
While the draft fatigue rules contained some important improvements, there continues to be some critical deficiencies that Safer Skies is working to improve—both before and after the publication of the proposed regulations in Canada Gazette I (CGI) expected in June. Publication in the CGI is the first stage in the process of promulgation, during which official public comment occurs. Much like in the U.S., after the comment period closes, the department that sponsored the legislation then collects comments and makes any necessary changes to the regulations.
“Recognizing that we were in a unique situation to influence legislators and urge them to revise the proposed rules before they’re finalized, ALPA joined forces with the Air Canada Pilots Association, Unifor, and Teamsters Canada to present a unified front,” said Capt. Dan Adamus (Jazz Aviation), ALPA Canada president. “We hope that through our aggressive public-awareness campaign, we’re able to influence decision-makers to get it right and advance aviation safety in our country.”
Foremost among the deficiencies is the proposed four-year implementation timetable for Canadian Aviation Regulations (CAR) 703/704 carriers (airline operations with up to 19 seats) from the CGI publication date; CAR 705 carriers (airline and helicopter operations with 20 or more seats) would have one year. This is unacceptable as it creates two classes of safety for the Canadian public and pilots. Additionally, ALPA believes that the proposed fatigue risk management system is fraught with significant problems and requires further study and consideration before it becomes law.
On June 6, the Safer Skies coalition hosted a reception for Members of Parliament to educate Canadian lawmakers on the need for adequate fatigue rules. Dr. Derek Loewy, a sleep expert and Ph.D. fellow at Stanford University, addressed attendees on the importance of new flight- and duty-time regulations. “Canada is in a fortunate situation to proactively take advantage of the hard lessons learned already by other governments and make advances on fatigue rules before an accident occurs.”
Since the campaign was launched in early May, SaferSkies.ca has received more than 15,000 visits and has been seen by more than 2.5 million people through social media. The Safer Skies campaign has also developed a petition for Transport Minister Marc Garneau outlining specific demands related to fatigue and flight safety that thousands of Canadian citizens have already signed.
“Updating flight-time/duty-time and minimum rest requirements is one of the most important aviation safety initiatives for flight crews in Canada, and new rules are long overdue,” said Adamus. “Recent efforts to weaken proposed rules are unacceptable. We cannot continue to let Canada fall behind and will continue to fight for this vital step forward for aviation safety.”
