Flight Duty Limitations for cabin crew

[Vandal28]

I am interested in obtaining any and all info about flight duty limitations for cabin crew. Reg's covered by Aviation Authorities are what I need, specifics will enable me to web search the relevant regulatory bodies. thanks in advance

[esreverlluf]

As far as I'm aware there are no legislated cabin crew duty time requirements in Australia - any duty time limitations are associated with the relevant EBA or other contractual limitations.

Would be interested to know the situation in the rest of the world.

[BelArgUSA]

Flight/Duty time limitations - cabin staff

As far as FAA rules, for the USA and countries using FAA regulations, there are no specific limits for cabin crewmembers. In practice, air carriers often do team cockpit and cabin crews for specific pairings for departure from base, until return to that base.
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Flight crews have flight/duty time limitations on per day, monthly (or 30 days) and annual (or 12 months) periods, that are in listed in FAR 121 "Flight Time Limitations" paragraphs. For cabin crewmembers, all the airlines seem to apply the "per day" limits of cockpit crewmembers.
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As an example, XYZ airline limits a cockpit crew to 12 hours flight and 16 hours duty time limitation. The cabin crewmembers paired with that cockpit crew will therefore be subject to the same limit, and receive same rest after the flight.
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In practice however, cabin crews - within the calendar month - might end up being paired with another cockpit crew after their return to base and rest, and be flying a much higher amount than cockpit crews, on a monthly or yearly base.
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As a pilot, I was limited to 120 hours flight time on a 30 continuous days period, and 300 hours flight time on a 90 days period, and finally 1000 hours on a yearly or 12 month period. I used to know some cabin crewmembers who kept a little "pilot pocket log" who were flying well above cockpit crew limits for such periods. I would not be surprised that some cabin crewmembers would exceed 120 hours flying in 30 day periods, and 1000 hours in 12 month periods.
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One consideration is this. Cabin crewmembers are primordial in safety and evacuation duties and should be well rested to perform these duties. I often have voiced that opinion in some abusive "hajj" operations where cabin crewmembers were forced to operate flights well above cockpit crew flight and duty time limitations. With PanAm, it was company policy to apply same flight/duty limitations to cockpit AND cabin crewmembers.
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Cockpit crewmembers - if wounded and in your seat after an accident, your life may depend on being helped and evacuated by a flight attendant... So, be sure that "Suzy" and "Bruce" are well rested to be able to save your a*se, and drag you to safety, out of your seat.
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While the FAA has flight/duty time limitations for daily periods, there are no "duty time" limitations at all for 30, 90 days and 12 months periods.
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Happy contrails

[Hold West]

As far as FAA rules, for the USA and countries using FAA regulations, there are no specific limits for cabin crewmembers.

Ahem - FAR 121.467 limits flight attendants to a 14 hour duty day followed by a minimum 9 hours rest. The duty day can be increased and the rest decreased under certain conditions spelled out in the reg, reproduced in its entirety below:

Sec. 121.467

Flight attendant duty period limitations and rest requirements: Domestic, flag, and supplemental operations.

(a) For purposes of this section--
Calendar day means the period of elapsed time, using Coordinated Universal Time or local time, that begins at midnight and ends 24 hours later at the next midnight.
Duty period means the period of elapsed time between reporting for an assignment involving flight time and release from that assignment by the certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations. The time is calculated using either Coordinated Universal Time or local time to reflect the total elapsed time.
Flight attendant means an individual, other than a flight crewmember, who is assigned by a certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations, in accordance with the required minimum crew complement under the certificate holder's operations specifications or in addition to that minimum complement, to duty in an aircraft during flight time and whose duties include but are not necessarily limited to cabin-safety-related responsibilities.
Rest period means the period free of all restraint or duty for a certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations and free of all responsibility for work or duty should the occasion arise.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, a certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations may assign a duty period to a flight attendant only when the applicable duty period limitations and rest requirements of this paragraph are met.
(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(4), (b)(5), and (b)(6) of this section, no certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations may assign a flight attendant to a scheduled duty period of more than 14 hours.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, a flight attendant scheduled to a duty period of 14 hours or less as provided under paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be given a scheduled rest period of at least 9 consecutive hours. This rest period must occur between the completion of the scheduled duty period and the commencement of the subsequent duty period.
(3) The rest period required under paragraph (b)(2) of this section may be scheduled or reduced to 8 consecutive hours if the flight attendant is provided a subsequent rest period of at least 10 consecutive hours; this subsequent rest period must be scheduled to begin no later than 24 hours after the beginning of the reduced rest period and must occur between the completion of the scheduled duty period and the commencement of the subsequent duty period.
(4) A certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations may assign a flight attendant to a scheduled duty period of more than 14 hours, but no more than 16 hours, if the certificate holder has assigned to the flight or flights in that duty period at least one flight attendant in addition to the minimum flight attendant complement required for the flight or flights in that duty period under the certificate holder's operations specifications.
(5) A certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations may assign a flight attendant to a scheduled duty period of more than 16 hours, but no more than 18 hours, if the certificate holder has assigned to the flight or flights in that duty period at least two flight attendants in addition to the minimum flight attendant complement required for the flight or flights in that duty period under the certificate holder's operations specifications.
(6) A certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations may assign a flight attendant to a scheduled duty period of more than 18 hours, but no more than 20 hours, if the scheduled duty period includes one or more flights that land or take off outside the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, and if the certificate holder has assigned to the flight or flights in that duty period at least three flight attendants in addition to the minimum flight attendant complement required for the flight or flights in that duty period under the domestic certificate holder's operations specifications.
(7) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(8) of this section, a flight attendant scheduled to a duty period of more than 14 hours but no more than 20 hours, as provided in paragraphs (b)(4), (b)(5), and (b)(6) of this section, must be given a scheduled rest period of at least 12 consecutive hours. This rest period must occur between the completion of the scheduled duty period and the commencement of the subsequent duty period.
(8) The rest period required under paragraph (b)(7) of this section may be scheduled or reduced to 10 consecutive hours if the flight attendant is provided a subsequent rest period of at least 14 consecutive hours; this subsequent rest period must be scheduled to begin no later than 24 hours after the beginning of the reduced rest period and must occur between the completion of the scheduled duty period and the commencement of the subsequent duty period.
(9) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b)(4), (b)(5), and (b)(6) of this section, if a certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations elects to reduce the rest period to 10 hours as authorized by paragraph (b)(8) of this section, the certificate holder may not schedule a flight attendant for a duty period of more than 14 hours during the 24-hour period commencing after the beginning of the reduced rest period.
(10) No certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations may assign a flight attendant any duty period with the certificate holder unless the flight attendant has had at least the minimum rest required under this section.
(11) No certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations may assign a flight attendant to perform any duty with the certificate holder during any required rest period.
(12) Time spent in transportation, not local in character, that a certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations requires of a flight attendant and provides to transport the flight attendant to an airport at which that flight attendant is to serve on a flight as a crewmember, or from an airport at which the flight attendant was relieved from duty to return to the flight attendant's home station, is not considered part of a rest period.
(13) Each certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations must relieve each flight attendant engaged in air transportation and each commercial operator must relieve each flight attendant engaged in air commerce from all further duty for at least 24 consecutive hours during any 7 consecutive calendar days.
(14) A flight attendant is not considered to be scheduled for duty in excess of duty period limitations if the flights to which the flight attendant is assigned are scheduled and normally terminate within the limitations but due to circumstances beyond the control of the certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations (such as adverse weather conditions) are not at the time of departure expected to reach their destination within the scheduled time.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this section, a certificate holder conducting domestic, flag, or supplemental operations may apply the flight crewmember flight time and duty limitations and rest requirements of this part to flight attendants for all operations conducted under this part provided that--
(1) The certificate holder establishes written procedures that--
(i) Apply to all flight attendants used in the certificate holder's operation;
(ii) Include the flight crewmember requirements contained in subparts Q, R, or S of this part, as appropriate to the operation being conducted, except that rest facilities on board the aircraft are not required;
(iii) Include provisions to add one flight attendant to the minimum flight attendant complement for each flight crewmember who is in excess of the minimum number required in the aircraft type certificate data sheet and who is assigned to the aircraft under the provisions of subparts Q, R, and S, as applicable, of this part;
(iv) Are approved by the Administrator and are described or referenced in the certificate holder's operations specifications; and
(2) Whenever the Administrator finds that revisions are necessary for the continued adequacy of the written procedures that are required by paragraph (c)(1) of this section and that had been granted final approval, the certificate holder must, after notification by the Administrator, make any changes in the procedures that are found necessary by the Administrator. Within 30 days after the certificate holder receives such notice, it may file a petition to reconsider the notice with the certificate-holding district office. The filing of a petition to reconsider stays the notice, pending decision by the Administrator. However, if the Administrator finds that an emergency requires immediate action in the interest of safety, the Administrator may, upon a statement of the reasons, require a change effective without stay.

[BelArgUSA]

Hold West -
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It is about time the FAA came to finally limit the F/A flight/duty time limitations.
Such did not exist when I was flying in USA...
Back then, there were some supplemental carriers (mostly) who were flying well beyond pilot limits.
I recall that there were some operations not hesitating to schedule cabin staff for R/T US-Europe...
Was the case with F/As of small carriers without union contracts.
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I did a Hajj contract not too many years ago with an operator with AOC from Indonesia.
Their cabin staff were flying 2 (I say again TWO) R/T Jeddah-Jakarta without hotel rest.
The excuse was that they slept in the airplane cabin on the "empty legs"...
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Again, good show for the FAA.

Happy contrails