Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) has announced airline pilots have joined with the US House of Representatives to introduce the Safe Skies Act, legislation that would apply one level of safety for all-cargo operations in the same manner as passenger operations, the company said.
Pilots of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int´l (ALPA); CAPA, Independent Pilots Association (IPA), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1224 and Teamsters Atlas Local 2750 support H.R. 5170 that would ensure cargo pilots have the same flight, duty, and rest requirements as their passenger-carrying counterparts in order to prevent dangers posed by fatigued pilots.
Currently, all-cargo airline operations are excluded from science-based pilot fatigue rules despite flying the same routes, in the same airspace, and into the same airports as pilots of passenger airlines. These inconsistencies in regulations put the traveling public at risk. The Safe Skies Act will address pilot fatigue and ensure airline safety without placing unreasonable cost demands on the industry.
H.R. 5170 will direct the FAA to apply the flight, duty, and rest requirements (i.e., FAR Part 117) to all-cargo operations in the same manner as they apply to passenger operations. Pilot fatigue is not dependent on the type of operation, and there is no reason for all-cargo pilots to operate under a different standard of safety.
