You're facing conflicts on overnight flights. How do you manage crew members' rest schedules effectively?

A proactive approach for a team leader is to email flight information and assign rest periods to the crew a few days before the flight. While crew rest is mandatory for the tech crew, it varies for flight attendants depending on airline policies and flight duration. Sharing crew breaks in advance helps the crew plan their rest before the flight and manage their time and rest more effectively during work.

The rostering system typically schedules off days and minimum rest according to local aviation guidelines. However, it often prioritizes crew productivity over human factors like jet lag or atypical sleep hours. Crew members must be fully aware of legal limits, especially when called from standby, as manual calculations may be inaccurate. If rosters consistently show a pattern of minimum rest without human factors consideration, it is crucial to raise and encourage fatigue reports.

Crew input is a great democratic idea, but issues arise when the majority choose popular rest periods with limited slots. Since seniority often dictates rest breaks, a fairer approach would be to reverse the order occasionally, allowing junior crew members to have a say in their rest break periods as well.

Fatigue reporting should serve as a safe haven for crew members, encouraging active participation in roster reporting. Documentation should be anonymous and directed straight to the department overseeing crew management so that all crew members feel secure and empowered to report fatigue without fear of reprisal.

The department should monitor flights where crew sickness reports are frequent, often due to challenging flight hours/time of departure. If a flight lacks adequate rest periods, consider implementing onboard crew rest or converting a turnaround flight to a layover. This proactive adjustment can help mitigate fatigue-related issues and ensure crew quality of life during demanding flight schedules.

A strategic approach to scheduling can significantly enhance crew rest. Rotating flight schedules to avoid chronic fatigue and allowing for adequate rest between shifts are key elements. You should also consider circadian rhythms when assigning flights; scheduling crews for duty when they would normally be awake can help maintain their natural sleep patterns. This foresight in planning can minimize the impact of overnight flights on the body clock and improve overall alertness.

Crew rest period is a requirement by CAA for minimum needed to operate as a member of crew. However, during overnight flight, rest period is allocated to crew members at the discretion of the Purser. In most cases, rest period may be allocated to the right stations' crew members while the left stationed crew man both exits. The flight crew will also share their rest period with one crew on alert to control and pilot the aircraft.