The Airline Division continues to advocate for publication of the final Flight Attendant Duty Period Limitations and Rest Requirements rulemaking, modifying current rest periods required by regulation to a minimum of 10 hours without an option to reduce the rest period. As you are aware, the proposed rule was published on November 2, 2021. According to the DOT’s regulatory filings, the Department is currently estimating that the final regulation will be published in February of 2023, though these estimates are often inaccurate.  

The Airline Division continues to call for final implementation of the rule, without creating new loopholes or exceptions, as we argued in our initial joint labor comments to the proposal. We are also advocating for an accelerated timeline for publication, given the importance of the rule and its critical impact on working conditions and quality of life. Recently, House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio led a sign-on letter to the Office of Management and Budget calling for publication of the rule as soon as possible, and requesting a status update no later than August 19. The Airline Division is extremely supportive of Chairman DeFazio’s efforts, and we will keep you informed as we learn more.