The Sustainability of FAR Part 117: Flight and Duty Limitation and Rest Requirements for Flight Crewmembers

The Federal Aviation Administration addressed fatigue risk for Part 121 pilots in 14 C.F.R. Part 117, which came into effect in January 2014. Fatigue jeopardizes safety in the sense that it increases the likelihood for pilot error which could potentially lead to an accident. The new regulations recognize for the first time risks to safety such as changes to natural circadian rhythms and “jetlag”. A sustainability analysis was conducted for the new rest requirements which required a systematic approach to address the four key components of sustainability: economic, social, environmental, and organizational. This analysis primarily focuses on organizational aspects of 14 C.F.R. Part 117 sustainability. This study analyzed responses from 53 self-identified non-pilots (i.e. management, maintenance, safety personnel) to determine their perceptions of the new rest requirements for pilots in the industry. The responses indicate that there is a slight increase in perceived overall safety; however, the respondents reported that this new regulation would have a slightly negative effect on the organizational operations.