Fatigue Doesn’t Read Regulations

Airline fatigue risk management is largely built around prescriptive rules that divide schedules into two neat categories: legal and illegal. Human physiology, however, rarely reads the rulebook. Fatigue does not suddenly appear when a duty exceeds a limit by a minute, nor disappear simply because a schedule remains within regulatory boundaries.

The result? Some well-designed schedules are prohibited, while others that pose a considerably greater fatigue risk remain perfectly compliant. In other words, compliance and physiology do not always fly in formation.

In Aligning Rules and Physiology, we present a practical methodology for exploring and narrowing this gap. The document describes how operators can align digital rules with scientific understanding of fatigue and alertness, unlocking opportunities to improve both safety and operational efficiency. While regulation has increasingly embraced fatigue science and encourages operators to adopt Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS), many organizations are still uncertain how to take the next step. This document provides a practical ramp to creating a safety business case.

If you would like to learn more, we would be delighted to continue the conversation.