Regulations and Government
Canada’s Flight and Duty Time Regulations under Scrutiny
Operators push for simpler fatigue-management rules
Transport Canada PICA report pilot exhaustion
© AIN archives

Transport Canada is addressing industry feedback and concerns about proposed flight and duty time regulations and fatigue risk management systems (FRMS) for Subpart 703 (air taxi) and 704 (commuter) operators. Its recently released FRMS preliminary issue and consultation assessment (PICA) report outlines and gives responses to this feedback and also indicates that Transport Canada plans to hold focus groups and consultations, explore pilot projects, and work with data analytics companies to address these issues and improve regulations. ​

Subparts 703 and 704 operators, who accounted for most of the submissions to the PICA, cited high costs (more than $40,000) as a barrier for implementing FRMS. ​In general, they find the proposed FRMS program incompatible with their operations and seek simpler, clearer regulations. ​Feedback overall indicates operators agree on aligning with ICAO standards but express concerns about the practical implementation and approval process of FRMS.

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