TORONTO — The union representing Air Canada pilots says a near-collision at San Francisco's airport involving one of the airline's jets should be a wake-up call for the federal government to properly address pilot fatigue for overnight flights.
Capt. Matt Hogan, chairman of the Air Canada Pilots Association master elected council, says Ottawa should change the flight duty limit for evening and overnight flights to 8.5 hours in line with NASA recommendations.
Draft proposals by the government are suggesting a 10.5-hour limit, down from the current threshold of 14 hours for all flying, which can be extended to 17 due to unforeseen operational circumstances.
The pilots' group was responding to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which concluded that pilot error and fatigue were contributing factors to the July 2017 incident.
Transport Minister Marc Garneau says the government agrees that pilot fatigue rules need updating and that he has been working on the issue since coming into office in 2015.
Although various proposals have been studied since 2010, the minister proposed regulations more than a year ago and has consulted with pilots, industry and passengers.
