European Commission OKs NetJets’ Pilot Rostering Scheme

Portugal-based NetJets Transportes Aéreos received the official go-ahead from the European Commission to deviate from EU-wide rules and schedule a duty time for its pilots of up to 70 hours in any seven consecutive days. EU rules on the harmonization of technical requirements and administrative procedures for air operations across the bloc set a cumulative limit of 60 hours duty limit for crew in any seven consecutive days.

Portuguese authorities last year asked Brussels to consider a deviation from these rules for NetJets Europe, arguing that the company is unable to comply with the requirements. “To carry out air-taxi operations, in cases where a crewmember of NetJets is scheduled to operate on the seventh consecutive day, the cumulative limit of 60 hours laid down in that provision is reached and is already exceeded while that crewmember is on positioning or other duty,” they told the EC.

The Commission has approved the request, after analysis in cooperation with the European Aviation Safety Agency showed that the additional duty time would have no effect on the level of safety of the operations. NetJets Europe, however, will have to implement certain mitigating measures “with a view to preventing, monitoring, and addressing any risks that might emerge in connection to the extension,” the EC said.

It also limited the deviation to a maximum total duty period in any seven consecutive days of 70 hours and said the additional hours should be used only for the positioning duty of the pilots concerned for the start of the extended recovery rest period and not for positioning between two flight-duty periods. This same deviation might be granted by national authorities under the same conditions to other air-taxi operators registered in the EU for the same operations, the Commission noted.