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- Flying in the clouds: The Ministry of Transport wants to increase flight standards for aircraft crews
The Ministry of Transport plans to increase the maximum flight hours for pilots and flight attendants from 80 to 90 hours per month. This follows from the draft order of the department on working and rest conditions for flight personnel, which was reviewed by Izvestia. Previously, it was possible to raise the standards to 90 hours in exceptional cases with the consent of the pilots and the trade union for additional remuneration. Trade unions fear that the new regulations threaten to overwork crews and increase aviation accidents, and Aeroflot says that this proposal is aimed at increasing the productivity and material well-being of flight personnel.
Why was the 90/900 raid rate needed?
The Ministry of Transport has prepared a draft order on the specifics of the working hours and rest periods for pilots and crew, which increases the flight time from 80 to 90 hours. The Ministry of Transport told Izvestia that the document is being developed as part of the implementation of Federal Law No. 289-FZ on amendments to the Air Code. The draft order states that the duration of flight time cannot exceed 90 hours within 30 calendar days, or 270 hours per quarter and 900 per year. Previously, this rate was 80 hours per month and 800 per year. The new order, if adopted, should enter into force on September 1, 2025.
The Russian Flight Crew Union (PLC) strongly opposed the document of the Ministry of Transport.
"Increasing the standard from 80/800 hours to 90/900 allows employers to attract fewer crews while using them more intensively," Oleg Prikhodko, Vice President of the Russian Federation Council, told Izvestia. — This is a very heavy burden on crew members, which leads to accumulated fatigue and increased risks to flight safety, especially on short flights.
The 90/900 standard means that pilots will have one day off per week, the expert believes.
According to the PLC, now an increase in the flight rate from 80 to 90 hours per week is also applied, but as an exception, with the consent of employees and the trade union. Pilots sign an additional agreement with the airlines and work based on their physical capabilities.
— However, the new draft order of the Ministry of Transport no longer requires the consent of pilots and crew members and actually makes the increased rate the general standard, — told "Izvestia" PLC President Miroslav Boychuk.
Such an increase is contrary to the norms of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), according to the PLC. Appendix No. 6 "Aircraft operation" of the ICAO Rules states that an increase in flight standards for civil aviation crews can be established by the state on the basis of scientific research confirming the capabilities of the human body to withstand such loads. However, according to the PLC, no scientific work on this topic has been conducted in Russia.
The trade unions have prepared amendments to the draft order and sent them to the Ministry of Transport. On March 19, a joint discussion of the document will take place at the working group in the field of air transport under the Administrative reform Commission, which, in addition to trade union leaders, will be attended by representatives of airlines and employees of the Ministry.
"We want to keep the old wording in the order on the flight time limit of 80/800 hours with the possibility of extending it to 90/900 hours with the consent of the parties and preserve the role of the trade union to protect the interests of flight workers," said Miroslav Boychuk.
How often do crew overloads happen?
According to a source in the industry, more than 90% of the pilots at Aeroflot (over 1,700 people) are already flying at a rate of 90 hours, they have given their consent. Pobeda has almost 100% of them. People want to earn more, the source said.
According to him, in many countries pilots fly even more than 90 hours. For example, in the USA, China, Vietnam, Kazakhstan. In these Countries, flying 100 hours in 28 days is considered normal.
"At the same time, no one will force Russian pilots to work more," the source believes. — If a pilot wants to fly at 80, then so be it. The standard of 90 hours is the upper ceiling.
However, Oleg Prikhodko noted that foreign companies have a standard of 100 hours, but in fact they fly less and they have a fixed salary. For example, in the United States, when flying for more than eight hours, they add a third pilot for the opportunity to rest. We have two pilots who can work 13-15 hours, all night, he added.
According to him, such a load is already affecting the working capacity of the crews. Pilot fatigue and violations of working time requirements are noted in the investigation reports in half of the recorded accidents, he says.
So, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency, on July 29, 2024, the co–pilot of the Aeroflot Moscow - Astana flight felt unwell and was unable to continue the flight, which forced the plane to land at Ufa airport. It turned out that a month earlier he had spent 92 hours and 37 minutes on flights. The investigation says that insufficient rest time for the pilot may be a factor in the malaise.
The deterioration of the health of pilots and flight attendants was recorded in 2024 in 13 cases and twice in 2025, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency. On April 20, 2024, a cabin crew member aboard a Pobeda B-737-800 became ill at Sheremetyevo Airport, and on May 1, a flight attendant lost consciousness on an Airbus A320 on a Tomsk –Sheremetyevo flight. On May 12, a Red Wings airliner en route from Sochi to St. Petersburg made an emergency landing in Mineralnye Vody due to the deteriorating health of a cabin crew member. Similar cases were recorded on August 2 on the Vladivostok – Sheremetyevo flight of Aeroflot and on August 12 on the Krasnoyarsk–Sheremetyevo flight.
Already this year, on February 25, on board an Aurora Airline plane en route from Khabarovsk to Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, the co-pilot lost consciousness. And on March 15, a 26-year-old flight attendant fainted on a flight from Pobeda Airlines Vladikavkaz to St. Petersburg.
According to Aeroflot, the new order of the Ministry of Transport is necessary to protect the interests of flight and cabin crews.
"The increase in the standard working time to 90 hours per month is aimed at increasing the productivity of flight personnel, and will also contribute to improving their material well—being," the Aeroflot press service told Izvestia. — The company has submitted its proposals to the Ministry of Transport, based on many years of experience in production activities in the industry.
The press service added that the aviation community is currently actively working to discuss and coordinate all received proposals for the draft order.
"We hope that the final version of the new order will be able to balance the interests of all stakeholders," the Aeroflot press service noted.
The Ministry of Transport explained to Izvestia that the decision to increase the flight time from 80 to 90 hours has not been made, it is being discussed with airlines, trade unions and the Ministry of Labor in order to develop a balanced approach that meets modern realities.
The editors sent inquiries to major airlines. The response of the Association of Air Transport Operators (AEVT) to the document states that the draft order of the Ministry of Transport needs to be finalized, but the Association of the Ministry of Transport has not expressed objections to the norm up to 90/900 hours. The AEVT proposed to the Ministry to eliminate the requirements for rationing flight attendants' flight time altogether due to the absence of harmful factors during cabin crew work, as well as due to the use of more modern aviation technology relative to the 1980s, when these standards were adopted.
Is there a shortage of pilots in Russia
"The draft order of the Ministry of Transport, with an increase in flight time, indicates a shortage of pilots in Russia," civil aviation pilot and aviation expert Andrei Litvinov told Izvestia. — During the pandemic and at the beginning of the civil aviation crisis, the economic indicators of civil aviation sank, and pilots began to be reduced. Now, with the active growth of air transportation, pilots are in demand again, but there are not enough of them on the labor market.
The maximum flight time of 80 hours per month appeared for a reason. This is a scientifically proven norm related to the physical capabilities of the body, said PLC President Miroslav Boychuk. According to him, if a pilot feels strong enough, he can fly for 90 hours a month and earn extra money. But not everyone can do it.
Strong reasons based on scientific research are needed to justify an increase in the standard for all pilots, the president of the trade union believes.
— For example, in the USSR, not every pilot flew for 50/500 hours, — notes Andrey Litvinov. — If this milestone was reached, then it took him two years and he was entitled to early retirement.
But the aviation authorities did not allow the crews to be loaded like that. Now, pilots are forced to fly for 90/900 hours a year, which, without a doubt, can affect fatigue and flight safety, the pilot notes.
— In summer, the frequency of flights increases significantly, which also increases the workload for pilots, and they can fly for 110 hours per month. Violation of the rules is allowed by airlines on an exceptional basis for three months, but then people should be allowed to rest. This does not always work out, as a result, pilots work hard, " Honored Pilot of Russia Yuri Sytnik told Izvestia.
According to the expert, fixing the norm at 90/900 affects the body. Fatigue accumulates and can make itself felt in extreme situations. If we introduce a maximum Soviet-era flight time of 70/700, we will have to multiply the number of crews. Not every airline will do this. Therefore, pilots have 26 working days a month and see their families only occasionally, the expert added.
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