Airplanes That Don’t Have Full Cabins Can Land More Frequently

FAA to announce rule allowing more rest for flight attendants

Airlines are often accused of over-complicating things. But that may not be the case when it comes to passenger safety. New rules from FAA that take effect on July 1 will allow airplanes that don’t have full cabins on the flight deck to land more frequently with a rest period.

The rule (PDF) states that an aircraft has to have full passenger seats before passengers can fly more frequently.

But after two hours of rest, the aircraft no longer needs all the rest hours for passenger seats.

“This will allow airlines to more frequently get into the air and be more responsive to customer needs for more frequent access to seating,” said David Whittington, director of the Office of Security Analysis at the FAA.

The rule is not applicable to the majority of flights since it only applies to 737s and 737 MAX aircraft.

The FAA expects that as more passenger airlines add larger seats, those seats will be needed in more flights. But, that means airplanes can use less of their available rest hours.

The agency has set aside $20 million to fund the program.

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