In the following article we will discuss some of the key differences in FTLs between EASA, FAA, TCA and CASA
EASA — European Union Aviation Safety Agency
Regulatory Framework
EASA Flight Time Limitations are codified in Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Subpart ORO.FTL.
The system is highly structured, relying on rolling cumulative limits for both flight time and duty time. These limits apply to operating crew members in commercial air transport.
Cumulative Flight Time Limits
EASA defines three primary cumulative flight time constraints:
100 hours in any 28 consecutive days
900 hours in any calendar year
1,000 hours in any 12 consecutive calendar months
These limits apply to flight time on sectors where the crew member operates, excluding positioning.
Cumulative Duty Time Limits
Duty limits under EASA are equally prescriptive:
60 duty hours in any 7 consecutive days
110 duty hours in any 14 consecutive days
190 duty hours in any 28 consecutive days
The regulation explicitly requires that duty be “spread as evenly as practicable”, reinforcing the fatigue-risk-management philosophy behind the numbers.
Daily Limits
Maximum daily Flight Duty Period (FDP) is based on:
Number of sectors
Reporting times
State of acclimatisation
And is further described in ORO.FTL.205.
The minimum rest is minimum 12 hours (10 where accommodation is provided - usually on layovers) but at least the same lenght as the preceding duty. Daily limits can further be extended by planned Duty Extensions or Split Duties, or in case of unforseen circumstances by Commander’s Discretion.
Easy Access Rules for Air Operations (Regulation (EU) No 965/2012) - Revision 23, December 2025 — Available in pdf & XML format | EASA
FAA — United States Federal Aviation Administration
Regulatory Framework
The FAA approach differs fundamentally from EASA. Under 14 CFR §91.1059 (for certain operations), limitations focus predominantly on flight time.
Cumulative Flight Time Limits
FAA cumulative limits are defined using calendar quarters, a concept not used by most other authorities:
500 hours in any calendar quarter
800 hours in any two consecutive calendar quarters
1,400 hours in any calendar year
These limits apply to all commercial flying accros multiple operators. This makes accurate cross-operator logging essential for FAA-regulated pilots.
Daily Limits
Unlike EASA, FAA FTLs are more simple and also in most cases more restrictive (with the exception of minimum rest).
Daily flight time (24 consecutive hours) is limited to:
8 hours for a flight crew consisting of one pilot (can be extended to 9)
10 hours for a flight crew consisting of two pilots (can be extended to 12)
Duty Period is limited to 14 hours
Minimum rest prior to duty is 10 hours
This model reflects the FAA’s historically different fatigue-management philosophy compared to EASA.
14 CFR § 91.1059 - Flight time limitations and rest requirements: One or two pilot crews.
Transport Canada (TCA)
Regulatory Framework
Transport Canada FTL rules are contained in Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) Subpart 700.
TCA combines short-term, medium-term, and long-term cumulative limits for both flight and duty time and is in some respects close to the EASA FTLs.
Cumulative Flight Time Limits
Key flight time constraints include:
8 hours in any 24 consecutive hours (single-pilot operations)
112 hours in any 28 consecutive days
300 hours in any 90 consecutive days
1,000 hours in any 365 consecutive days
Cumulative Duty Time Limits
Transport Canada also enforces the following duty limits:
60 duty hours in any 7 consecutive days
192 duty hours in any 28 consecutive days
2,200 duty hours in any 365 consecutive days
These limits are directly linked to time free from duty provisions, making rest planning a core compliance task.
Daily Limits
Maximum 9 to 13 hours based on start time of day and the sector flown. Minimum rest time between duties is similar to EASA implementation. 12 hours at home base or 10 where suitable accommodation is provided.
Flight and duty time regulations: Prescriptive vs. performance-based options
CASA — Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Australia)
Regulatory Framework
CASA FTL requirements are primarily defined in CAO 48.1, which has historically coexisted with newer fatigue-risk-management schemes. CASA flight time limitations closely resemble EASA FTLs with minor variations.
Cumulative Flight Time Limits
100 hours in any 28 consecutive days
1,000 hours in any 365 consecutive days
These limits apply to flight crew members (FCMs) across applicable operations.
Cumulative Duty Time Limits
Duty accumulation is defined using rolling hour windows:
60 duty hours in any 168 consecutive hours (7 days)
100 duty hours in any 336 consecutive hours (14 days)
Daily Limits
Australian regulations employ very similar approach to daily limits as EASA FTLs. The daily limits are too established by reporting time, number of sectors and state of acclimatisation.
The CASA FTL also enables the commander to extend the maximum daily limit in unforeseen circumstances by one hour (EASA 2 hours).
https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2019L01070/latest/text
How Logger Can Help?
EASA, TCA and CASA FTL regulations are with variations quite similar and highly prescriptive, while FAA FTL regulations are in comparison fairly simple to follow.
In any case it is always the pilot’s responsibility to keep track of their FTLs (even though airlines often track this for you).
Logger allows you to track all of the above FTLs (with exception of the daily) and will notify you when you are about to exceed them. You can even use the Logger FlightCast feature to check the legality of your future duties.
