Canadian Aviation Regulations · SOR/96-433
Time-Zone Rest Requirements
Crossing time zones adds rest: 11 or 14 hours when a flight duty period ends away from home base, and 13 hours or one to three local nights' rest on the return to home base, depending on the difference and how long you were away.
Applies to 703704705 · in force since December 12, 2020
These rules replace the normal 700.40 rest when your flight duty period crosses time zones. The more zones you cross, the longer the rest (AC 700-047 §§ 4.43–4.44).
Flight duty period ends away from home base
| Difference between start and end local time | Minimum rest | CARs |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 4 hours | Normal 700.40 rest applies | — |
| Exactly 4 hours | 11 consecutive hours in suitable accommodation | 700.42(1)(a) |
| More than 4 hours | 14 consecutive hours in suitable accommodation | 700.42(1)(b) |
Return to home base (FDP begins in another zone, ends at home base)
The timing runs from when you leave home base until you return. It depends on the time-zone difference, how long you were away, and whether the return flight touches your window of circadian low (02:00–05:59 acclimatized).
| Time-zone difference from home base | Time away from home base / other condition | Rest before the next FDP | CARs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | More than 36 consecutive hours away | 13 consecutive hours | 700.42(2)(a) |
| More than 4 but not more than 10 hours | 60 hours or less away, and no part of the FDP in the window of circadian low | 1 local night’s rest | 700.42(2)(b)(i) |
| More than 4 but not more than 10 hours | More than 60 hours away, or any part of the FDP in the window of circadian low | 2 local nights’ rest | 700.42(2)(b)(ii) |
| More than 10 hours | 60 hours or less away | 2 local nights’ rest | 700.42(2)(c)(i) |
| More than 10 hours | More than 60 hours away | 3 local nights’ rest | 700.42(2)(c)(ii) |
Related
Regulation text — CARs 700.42
Reproduced from the consolidated Canadian Aviation Regulations ( SOR/96-433) on the Justice Laws website. CARs 700.42
700.42 (1) Despite section 700.40, an air operator shall provide a flight crew member with the following rest periods when their flight duty period ends away from home base:
- (a) 11 consecutive hours in suitable accommodation, if the local time at the location where the flight duty period began differs by four hours from the local time at the location where the flight duty period ends; and
- (b) 14 consecutive hours in suitable accommodation, if the local time at the location where the flight duty period began differs by more than four hours from the local time at the location where the flight duty period ends.
(2) Despite section 700.40, an air operator shall provide a flight crew member with the following rest periods when their flight duty period begins at a location that is in a time zone other than the time zone in which home base is located and ends at home base:
- (a) 13 consecutive hours, if the local time at the location where the flight duty period began differs by four hours from the local time at home base and the member has been away from home base for more than 36 consecutive hours;
- (b) if the local time at the location where the flight duty period began
differs by more than 4 but not more than 10 hours from the local time at home
base, and
- (i) the member has been away from home base for 60 consecutive hours or less and no part of the flight duty period occurs during any part of the member’s window of circadian low, one local night’s rest before the beginning of the next flight duty period, or
- (ii) the member has been away from home base for more than 60 consecutive hours, or any part of the flight duty period occurs within any part of the member’s window of circadian low, two local nights’ rest before the beginning of the next flight duty period; or
- (c) if the local time at the location where the flight duty period began
differs by more than 10 hours from the local time at home base and
- (i) the member has been away from home base for 60 consecutive hours or less, two local nights’ rest before the beginning of the next flight duty period, or
- (ii) the member has been away from home base for more than 60 consecutive hours, three local nights’ rest before the beginning of the next flight duty period.
What changed in 2018
In plain language
New with the 2018 rules: rest that scales with the number of time zones crossed, to address the sleep disruption of trans-meridian travel.
Paraphrased from Advisory Circular 700-047 .