Excerpted from today’s Wall Street Journal (subscription may be required):
Bucking opposition from U.S. airlines, federal regulators have issued rules aimed at reducing the hazards of pilot fatigue during the longest international flights.
After 18 months of debate between some airline officials and the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency intends to impose tougher crew-rest requirements and other safety measures on flights operated by AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc. between the U.S. and India. Over time, the rules are designed to apply to all U.S. carriers flying so-called ultra-long-range flights, which can last 16 hours or longer.
The new rules mandate that pilots on the longest routes get at least 40 to 48 hours of rest after arriving, for example, in India from the East Coast of the U.S. Rules now require shorter rests.(snip)
Would North American or Western European pilots really want 40-48 hour layovers in India (or other Asian cities after “ultra-long-range flights“? It has been questioned on another BB.