After a year of pressuring the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to release the report on Flight Attendant fatigue, Flight Attendants, Congress and the flying public can finally see the compelling facts that support AFA's efforts to improve rest requirements for Flight Attendants.

The results confirm that Flight Attendants are frequently "experiencing issues consistent with fatigue and tiredness" and that "fatigue appears to be a salient issue warranting further evaluation." The study also mentions that regulations created by the FAA governing Flight Attendant duty and rest requirements are minimal standards.

To truly address fatigue, the regulations must be combined with "sound and realistic operational practices," as well as personal strategies. While the report recognizes fatigue as a problem, it also acknowledges that the FAA-imposed six- to eight-month time frame for researchers to conduct the study was inadequate and clearly calls for a more detailed study to be conducted.

The full report can be viewed on the International AFA-CWA website at www.afanet.org.