IATA Highlights New Fatigue Management Approach
A Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS), such as the one used for more than a decade by Air New Zealand, uses several types of monitoring systems, including monitoring a crew’s rest and reporting by the crew.
The National Transportation Safety Board and international aviation authorities alike are searching for a long-term solution to air crew fatigue. NTSB’s chairman, Deborah A.P. Hersman, spoke May 26 to regional airlines' leaders and mentioned the importance of solving the problem. The International Air Transport Association, which represents many of the world's major airlines, has posted an Airlines International article on its website about the Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) approach, which IATA supports.
FRMS has been used for more than a decade by Air New Zealand. It uses several types of monitoring systems, including monitoring a crew's rest and reporting by the crew, to design crew schedules and makes improvements as needed, according to the article. It quotes Chris Glaeser, IATA's director of Safety, as saying, "We are working to incorporate FRMS into our Safety Management System, which has been an ICAO standard since last year. This will add yet another layer of safety and will improve the whole operation."
Eventually, FRMS could be extended to ground personnel, air traffic controllers, and maintenance personnel, said Glaeser and Mitch Fox, chief of Flight Operations with the International Civil Aviation Organization's Air Navigation Bureau.