SIA is pleased to announce the implementation of the Flight Attendant 10 Hour Rest Rule prior to it becoming regulation. The early implementation has been approved by SkyWest Leadership and SIA effective January 31, 2020 for the February bid.

Additionally, the InFlight Fatigue Risk Management Program will be implemented prior to regulation on January 31, 2020 in conjunction with the 10 Hour Rest Rule. Changes to the rest rule will replace policies and procedures in the Flight Attendant Policy Manual (FAPM) and InFlight Operations Manual (IOM). InFlight Management will be communicating the details in an Alert Bulletin (AB) soon.

SIA and SkyWest Leadership sees this as an improvement for the health and safety of our SkyWest Flight Attendants and agree it is a top priority in the Aviation Industry.

Included below is important information associated with the 10 Hour Rest implementation:

10 hour rest rule will be effective January 31, 2020

• PBS (with buffer - 10:45 between all pairings) – Jan. 31 (Feb Bid)
• SkedPlus+ – Jan. 21 through Jan. 30 Flight Attendants will be restricted in the automation process from adding anything with less than 10:45 of rest (10 hour Minimum Rest + 45 minute Company buffer). From Jan. 21 through Jan. 30, Flight Attendants may contact crew support to request a manual pick up for a January pairing with less than the new rest rule.
• Beginning January 31st the 8 hour minimum rest will no longer be in effect. The required rest will change to 10 hour minimum rest and may not be reduced for any reason.

PBS

• Currently PBS pairings are constructed exactly like the Pilot’s with at least 10:15 Minimum Rest on overnights (excluding Continuous Duty). No changes necessary
• The default Minimum Rest in Domicile for PBS line construction will increase from 9 hours to 10:45 (matching Pilot’s current PBS rules of 10 hour Minimum Rest + 45 minute Company buffer).

SkedPlus+

• SkedPlus+ will require 10:45 between pairings (10 hour Minimum Rest + 45 minute Company buffer).
• The 45 minute Company buffer only applies to Flight Attendant transactions and not Company schedule changes.
• For schedule adjustments and awarding of open time, the report and release time of the two (2) pairings may not overlap, as is current policy.

Q and A
Q - Can the 10-hour rest period be reduced? Is there a compensatory rest period?
A - No. Once implemented, the 10-hour rest requirement may not be reduced, and as such, compensatory rest periods will no longer exist.
Q - Will Flight Attendants have the option to opt out of the 10 hour rest rule?
A - Based on the regulation, there is no ability to opt out.

Q - When does the 10 hours of rest begin on an overnight? When you are released or when you get to the hotel?
A - The 10 hour rest requirement encompasses the release from duty (or end of debrief) until the report for duty.

Q - If a Flight Attendant is trying to pick up a January pairing with less than 10 hours of rest after January 21st, will SkedPlus+ allow them to automatically pick it up, or will it be denied due to less than 10 hours of rest?
A - SkedPlus+ automation will deny the request, however the Flight Attendant can call crew support to have the request manually processed.

Q - When will the 10 hours rest rule apply to reserves?
A - January 31, 2020 (effective date for the February Bid)

Q - Will Flight Attendants still be able to “stack” pairings?
A - Yes, Flight Attendants will still have the ability to stack pairings provided the report and release times do not overlap. The total duty day must still be scheduled less than 14 hours.

Q - If the new rest rule is a minimum of 10 hours, why does the Company add a buffer?
A - The buffer is needed to ensure operational reliability in the event there are delays.