By Allison Lampert
MONTREAL, June 22 (Reuters) - Proposed Canadian rules to
ensure commercial pilots get enough rest would go into effect in
2018 for WestJet Airlines Ltd WJA.TO and Air Canada AC.TO
but apply to smaller carriers only in 2021, the Air Line Pilots
Association (ALPA) said late on Tuesday.
The new regulations would reduce pilots' working day from up
to a 14 hour shift to a period of nine to 13 hours, depending on
the time they start and number of flights they make while on
duty, Dan Adamus, president of ALPA's Canadian board said in an
interview.
Pilots who start late at night and make several flights
would work a shorter period of time, he said, adding that
specific details about exact shifts were not yet known.
Small Canadian carriers would have four years to apply the
regulations after they are finalized in 2017, while large
operators would have a year to comply. ALPA is urging Transport
Canada to make the regulations applicable to all carriers within
a year, regardless of size.
"A pilot is a pilot. Fatigue is fatigue," Adamus said. "It
should be one year for everybody."
Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau told Reuters last
week that the new rules would apply to commercial flights of a
variety of sizes and be based on scientific evidence on fatigue,
but did not give further details.
Some Canadian pilots, especially those working for small
airlines, can be scheduled to work for up to 14 hours, while in
the United States, Australia, the European Union and India,
shifts range from nine to 13 hours depending on time of day.
On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Air Canada said the carrier
supports the current review of regulations, but declined to
comment on the proposed changes because the rules have not yet
been made public.
A spokeswoman for Garneau was not immediately available to
comment on Wednesday.
(Editing by Tom Brown)