Association of Flight Attendants-CWA

UPDATE: The Fight Is Still On

July 16, 2019 - Representative Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, talked about the FAA implementation of our 10 hours rest. He said:

“Now the FAA is slow walking [10 Hours Minimum Rest] saying, ‘we can’t do that until 2020.’ I understand one of the airlines is pushing really, really hard to not allow flight attendants to get proper rest.”

AFA Launches #FightFor10 Petition

May 3, 2019 - We have learned through multiple conversations with industry, regulators, and other sources all over Washington, Delta Air Lines has been pushing the the Department of Transportation and the FAA to slow down implementation. Now all airlines are saying they will wait for instruction from FAA before complying with the law.

Today, we launched a petition on fightfor10.org to call on DOT and FAA to immediately implement the law, and to encourage members of Congress to hold them accountable. We will ramp up additional actions in the coming weeks and months to hold airlines and regulators responsible for complying with the law.  SIGN THE PETITION >

Congress Voted To Give Flight Attendants a Better, Safer Life. It Hasn't Happened. (May 4, 2019)

We won the #FightFor10! 8 hours becomes 10 hours rest!

On October 5, 2018, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 became law. The Secretary of the Department of Transportation now has 30 days to change the federal rest rules for Flight Attendants. The new rest rules is: 10 hours free from duty and it cannot be reduced for any reason. AFA will update Flight Attendants as the implementation process moves forward.

Congress Passes 10 Hours Rest, FAA Reauthorization Bill

October 3, 2018 — WE DID IT! Today, the Senate voted bipartisan and overwhelmingly to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The bill is now approved by both chambers of Congress and will go to the President's desk for signing before the October 7, 2018 deadline. 

Tens of thousands of Flight Attendants from across the industry including Frontier, Miami Air, Alaska, Spirit, Hawaiian, Envoy, Endeavor, United, American, Southwest – Flight Attendants from 35 airlines in all – have called your members of Congress, signed petitions, sent postcards, rallied at the Capitol, and told your stories to achieve minimum rest equal with the flight deck and a Fatigue Risk Management Plan (FRMP). Before that, many of you took part in fatigue studies that provided the science to back up our demand for more rest. This was a fight for safety, health, and equality.

We achieved overwhelming bipartisan support for our Rest and we especially thank our Congressional champions on 10 hours minimum rest:

House - Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), Rep. Mike Capuano (D-MA), Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Rep. Michael Bost (R-IL), Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI), Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), and Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL).

Senate - Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) originally introduced the language when she was in the House and continued advocacy in the Senate. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) have all since worked hard to ensure the rest language would be included in a final FAA bill. We thank Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) for weighing in when it especially counted to help us get our rest.

Summary of AFA safety priorities included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018:

• Cabin Cyber Security Vulnerabilities

• 10-hours Minimum Rest and a FRMP for Flight Attendants

• No Knives on Planes Ever Again

• Ban of Voice Calls on Planes

• Emotional Support and Service Animal Standards

• Air Quality: Technologies to Combat Contaminated Bleed Air

• Protect Customer Service Agents from Assaults

• Secondary Cockpit Barriers

• Safe Transport of Lithium Batteries

• Study on Cabin Evacuation Certification (including cabin configuration)

• Increase Civil Penalties for Crew Interference from $25,000 to $35,000

• Banning Electronic Cigarette Smoking on Planes

• Congressional Focus on Addressing Sexual Misconduct on Planes

• Establish National Inflight Sexual Misconduct Task Force

• Require DOJ to Establish Reporting Process for Sexual Misconduct

• TSA Authorization

• Continue Crewmember Self-Defense Training

• Expanded Human Trafficking Training for Airline Personnel

• Prioritize Support for Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP)

• Requiring Privacy for Nursing in the Airport

• Evaluation and Update of Emergency Medical Kit Contents

• Oxygen Mask Design Study

• Develop Guidance for Non-Toxic Prevention of Transporting Insects

• Exit Row Evaluation and Verification

• Improve Consumer Notification of Insecticide Use

• Promoting Women in Aviation

• NTSB Reauthorization

• Authorization of Essential Air Service

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Archived Information

Flight Attendants are entrusted with the safety, health, and security of our passengers on a daily basis. Studies commissioned by Congress make it clear that more rest should be mandated for Flight Attendants to combat fatigue. Current federal regulation "rest" rules provide only 8 hours after a 14 hour day. But that "rest" time includes passenger deplaning, travel to and check in at our hotel, preparing for the next day, travel back to the airport, transiting security, crew briefing and safety checks, passenger boarding and finally the aircraft release from the gate. This likely means 4-5 hours of sleep before another long day, if all else goes well.