Just read a WSJ article stating the new FAA rule will most likely exclude cargo carriers. I posted the link and the full text.
Limits for Pilots May Exclude Cargo Carriers - WSJ.com
BUSINESS
NOVEMBER 22, 2011, 11:09 P.M. ET
Limits for Pilots May Exclude Cargo Carriers
By ANDY PASZTOR
New rules to combat commercial-pilot fatigue likely will impose less-stringent work-hour limits on cargo carriers than on passenger airlines, according to people familiar with the details.
The Federal Aviation Administration is overhauling decades-old pilot-fatigue rules with modern limits on the number of hours crews can sit at the controls each day and how long they can be on the clock overall.
The FAA released an original proposal in 2010, which aimed to guarantee pilots at least nine hours of rest between shifts, instead of the eight now mandated. The changes, which initially were supposed to take effect in 2013, originally applied equally to all carriers.
But the FAA's move generated controversy because airlines that transport cargo and U.S. troops said their costs would jump because that segment of the industry has nonstandard schedules and often has to shift its routes. Passenger carriers also criticized the original plan.
The new rules could significantly reduce the amount of hours worked per day of commuter pilots and other pilots who make multiple landings and takeoffs—especially late at night or early in the morning.
White House regulatory officials have asked the FAA and the Department of Transportation to revise the original draft of the regulations, say the people familiar with the plan's details. The revisions will likely exempt cargo operators from some requirements or reduce the impact of some of the new mandates.
FAA officials have also broached the idea of giving cargo airlines extra time to comply with the anticipated rules, according to these people.
Union leaders representing pilots at FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc., two of the largest cargo operators, said Monday that White House officials were pushing a "cargo cut out" that would exempt cargo airlines from certain fatigue-prevention rules. In a joint statement, a local unit of the Air Line Pilots Association and the Independent Pilots Association said such a move would be "an economic power play which utterly disregards" safety.
The White House Office of Management and Budget is expected to receive a revised version in several weeks, the people said. Industry officials expect a final package to be announced in December.
The plan still faces challenges from unions representing pilots at both all-cargo carriers and passenger airlines, which are seeking uniform regulations establishing a single level of safety across the industry.
The cargo carriers and the pilot unions are waging rival lobbying campaigns on Capitol Hill as they vie for Obama administration support. Spokeswomen for the FAA, DOT and the White House declined to comment. Spokesmen for industry groups representing leading cargo and charter carriers also declined to comment.
Earlier this month FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told an industry conference in Dubai the new rules "would ensure pilots have more opportunity for rest," while also giving airlines flexibility to extend some flight periods if they provide improved rest facilities or mitigate fatigue in other ways. "We are working aggressively to get this rule out as soon as possible," Mr. Babbitt said.
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