Flight Crew Duty and Rest Limits in Türkiye: SHT-FTL

07/10/2026

Aviation Law Series

Aviation Law Series · 2 / 6

Flight and cabin crew working time is a safety matter: excessive fatigue can endanger operations. SHT-FTL sets limits that cannot be displaced merely by an employment contract. This article explains the Rev.02 text dated 17 January 2018; for a particular operation, the currently applicable SHGM rules and approved scheme must also be checked.

1. Legal framework and scope

The Instruction on Flight and Duty Time Limitations and Rest Requirements was first published on 12 October 2015 and entered into force on 1 January 2017. Its scope includes licensed airline operators, relevant management personnel and licensed or certified flight and cabin crew, including cargo airlines. Air taxi and general aviation are subject to a separate SHT-FTL/HG framework.

The instruction relies on Turkish Civil Aviation Law No. 2920, the SHGM framework and SHY-6A. Its preparation drew on Commission Regulation 83/2014 and EASA material. Annex 1 uses ORO.FTL and CS FTL numbering. Article 12 repealed SHT-6A.50 from 1 January 2017. Certain transitional limits ran until 1 January 2019; the figures below describe the post-transition Rev.02 scheme.

Safety limits and financial employment rights are separate questions. Overtime pay, additional payments and leave depend on the applicable employment rules, Turkish Code of Obligations and any collective agreement.

2. Key concepts

Duty period: from the required reporting or commencement time until release from all duties, including post-flight duties.
Flight duty period (FDP): from required reporting until the aircraft finally comes to rest and its engines are shut down after the last sector.
Flight time / block time: from first movement from parking for take-off until final parking and engine shutdown.
Rest: a defined continuous period free from duties, standby and reserve.
Standby: a previously notified period available for assignment. Reserve: availability for an assignment notified at least ten hours in advance.
Home base: the operator-assigned place where duties or duty sequences normally begin and end and the operator is normally not responsible for accommodation.
Window of circadian low (WOCL): 02:00–05:59 in the acclimatised time zone.
Disruptive schedules: the cited scheme includes early starts at 05:00–06:59 and late finishes at 00:00–01:59.

3. Daily and cumulative limits

Daily FDP, cumulative duty and cumulative flight time are different limits and must be checked separately. Under ORO.FTL.210, the Rev.02 duty limits are 60 hours in any seven consecutive days, 110 in 14 days, 190 in 28 days, and 2,000 in a calendar year. Flight time is limited to 100 hours in 28 consecutive days, 900 in a calendar year, and 1,000 in any 12 consecutive calendar months. The annual 900-hour limit applied from 1 January 2019. Duties should be spread as evenly as practicable within the relevant period.

Daily FDP depends on reference reporting time, acclimatisation and the number of sectors. Selected Table 2 values for acclimatised crew are shown below; these examples do not replace the full table or its conditions:

Start 06:00–13:29: 1–2 sectors: 13:00; 3: 12:30; 4: 12:00; 5: 11:30; 6: 11:00; 10: 09:00.
Start 17:00–04:59: 1–2 sectors: 11:00; 3: 10:30; 4: 10:00; 5: 09:30; 6 or more: 09:00.
Start 05:00–05:14: 1–2 sectors: 12:00; 3: 11:30; 4: 11:00.
Unknown acclimatisation, Table 3: 1–2 sectors: 11:00; 3: 10:30; 4: 10:00; 5: 09:30; 6–8: 09:00. Other cases, including an approved FRM arrangement, require their own applicable table.

Extensions are conditional

Without in-flight rest, a planned extension of up to one hour is possible no more than twice in seven consecutive days, with additional rest: two hours before and after, or four hours afterwards (ORO.FTL.205(d)).
With in-flight rest, one additional flight crew member allows maxima of 14, 15 or 16 hours for Class 3, 2 or 1 facilities; two additional members allow 15, 16 or 17 hours, subject to the prescribed conditions and no more than three sectors.
Split duty may extend FDP by up to 50% of a qualifying ground break of at least three consecutive hours, with the required accommodation and other conditions (ORO.FTL.220).
Commander's discretion concerns unforeseen circumstances: ordinarily up to two additional hours, or three with augmented flight crew (ORO.FTL.205(f)). It is not routine scheduling permission.

4. Rest, days off, standby and reserve

Under ORO.FTL.235, pre-FDP rest at home base is at least the preceding duty period or 12 hours, whichever is longer. Away from home base, it is at least the preceding duty or ten hours, with an eight-hour sleep opportunity in addition to travel and physiological needs.

Recurrent recovery rest: at least 36 hours including two local nights; no more than 168 hours between the end of one recovery rest and the start of the next. Twice each month it is increased to two local days.
Reduced rest: under the cited conditions, not below 12 hours at home base or ten away, with no more than two reduced rest periods between recovery rests.
Days off: at least seven local days per calendar month and 96 per calendar year, proportionate to days worked.
Reserve: rostered, with at least ten hours between notification and reporting; eight hours are protected from operator contact for sleep.
Airport standby: counts in full as duty; accommodation must be provided. Other standby: maximum 16 hours, with 25% counted as duty for the relevant cumulative limit. Further FDP-reduction and combined-duty conditions also apply.
Roster notification: at least 14 days ahead, or at least seven days ahead where the roster covers at least 28 days.
Records: flight, duty, rest and home-base records are retained for 24 months; copies are supplied to the crew member on request.

5. Fatigue, discretion and declining duty

Crew members must not perform duties when they know or suspect that fatigue or another condition makes them unfit to an extent that could endanger flight. A genuine, reasoned fatigue report must be assessed in light of that safety obligation; it is not automatically a disciplinary matter or automatic protection in every dispute.

Commander's discretion may reduce subsequent rest, but not below ten hours under the cited rule. If an extension exceeds one hour, a copy of the commander's report with operator comments is sent to SHGM within 28 days. The operator must provide a non-punitive process for the exercise of discretion in its operations manual.

Operators must plan adequate rest, assess cumulative fatigue and monitor the reliability of their schedules, making changes where the instruction's overrun criterion is met. Where required, a fatigue risk management system identifies hazards, assesses risks and provides safety assurance. Crew, rostering personnel and management receive initial and recurrent fatigue-management training.

6. Oversight and sanctions

SHGM may inspect operator, personal flight and tower records. The instruction provides for reporting non-compliance within seven working days. Operators appoint responsible scheduling management and, together with crew members, are accountable for compliance. SHGM must have access to required planning-software reports.

Article 9 refers to administrative fines under Article 143 of Law No. 2920 and/or SHY-İPC. Depending on fault, the cited text also provides for suspension of crew licences or certificates for up to six months or revocation. SHGM may allow justified exceptions within its powers, including exceptional state tasks, search and rescue or natural disasters. These are not general exemptions available to an operator at will.

7. Sources and currency

SHGM SHT-FTL Rev.02 official text; Law No. 2920; SHY-6A; SHY-İPC; the SHGM regulatory framework; and the EASA ORO.FTL / CS FTL material referenced by the instruction.

This article explains the specified revision. Later EASA amendments do not automatically amend Turkish law. Check the current SHGM legislation, approved scheme and operation-specific conditions before applying a limit. General information does not replace review of an individual roster or employment dispute.

Related article: Training costs and service commitments