U.S. FAA mandates new flight attendant rest time rules

ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday finalized new rules requiring airline flight attendants receive at least 10 hours of rest time between shifts, an action that Congress directed in 2018.

The FAA first proposed the rule in October 2021. Under existing rules, flight attendants get at least nine hours of rest time but it can be as little as eight hours in certain circumstances. Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen, who has been on the job since April 1 said at a press conference at Washington National Airport the rule took " way too long" to finalize.

(Reporting by David Shepardson)