Just thought it was interesting to read if you haven't already seen it:

U.S. to Impose Tougher Rules for Pilot Rest on Long Routes
By ANDY PASZTOR -- WSJ
NOVEMBER 14, 2008

Bucking opposition from U.S. airlines, federal regulators have issued rules aimed at reducing the hazards of pilot fatigue during the longest international flights.

After 18 months of debate between some airline officials and the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency intends to impose tougher crew-rest requirements and other safety measures on flights operated by AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc. between the U.S. and India. Over time, the rules are designed to apply to all U.S. carriers flying so-called ultra-long-range flights, which can last 16 hours or longer.

The new rules mandate that pilots on the longest routes get at least 40 to 48 hours of rest after arriving, for example, in India from the East Coast of the U.S. Rules now require shorter rests.

Continental and American resisted mandating the longer rest periods. The carriers also objected to other special restrictions involving the training and qualifications of the pilots on board.

Airlines that keep pilots sitting idle for shorter periods at foreign destinations enjoy significant labor-cost savings. But pilot-union leaders and independent safety experts contend the result may be an erosion of safety margins if tired crews have to cope with unusual situations or in-flight emergencies.

The general operating rules issued by the agency recently -- as well as specific rules proposed for individual carriers -- basically track those Delta Airlines Inc. voluntarily agreed to in late 2006. Since then, American and Continental have balked at some elements and tried to persuade the FAA to change them.

Instead, the agency has opted to require enhanced rest periods even when only 10% of the flights on some routes exceed 16 hours.

An American spokesman said Friday that the airline was responding to the latest FAA rules and will have chances to protest some features, but he declined to elaborate or indicate if such moves are likely. Continental didn't have any immediate comment.

Current rules typically allow pilots to be scheduled behind the controls of passenger jets for no longer than eight hours in one workday. Additional pilots are assigned to long flights to relieve members of the crew. But when nonstop flights are scheduled for 16 hours or more, even four-person cockpit crews work beyond that traditional eight-hour limit. Total time on duty under some circumstances can exceed 20 consecutive hours.

According to the FAA, "the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and studies" indicate crew members can have "significant levels of fatigue" toward the end of such unusually long workdays. A document released by the FAA earlier this month reiterated that after an ultra-long range flight, "conservative safety policy" requires that pilots be able to rest for up to 48 hours.

The biggest change from the original rules the FAA negotiated with Delta is the agency's decision to require only one captain as part of a four-person cockpit crew, rather than two captains and two copilots as the FAA mandated in 2006. Both American and Continental argued that crews including a single captain turned out to be adequate throughout their years of flying long, nonstop routes over water or barren regions near the North Pole.

Soon after the FAA and Delta reached an accord on trans-Pacific flights sometimes lasting up to 18 hours, American and Continental sought to tilt the rules in their favor and eventually threatened to challenge the original rules. Later, according to pilots and others familiar with the detail, Delta complained that the FAA wasn't being aggressive enough to impose the same restrictions on rivals.
...