NetJets seeks FAA exemption to extend pilot hours on Global 7500 flights
The FAA has not yet responded to the petition.
NetJets has petitioned the FAA for an exemption that would allow pilots to fly beyond current duty hour limits on its longest-range aircraft.
The petition, filed under docket FAA–2026–3840, targets regulations under 14 CFR 135.269 and applies to the BD-700-2A12 – the Global 7500 – capable of flights lasting between 16 and 17 hours. NetJets is seeking to assign four pilots and extend the maximum allowable duty period by one hour to 21 hours to accommodate those missions.
The FAA is accepting public comments until July 2, 2026, and two have already raised substantive concerns.
One commenter, identifying as a business jet user, questioned whether flight attendants with safety responsibilities would also be subject to extended duty periods under the exemption, and whether their rest requirements had been factored in.
They also challenged the manufacturer’s supporting statement, arguing that features cited as justification for the exemption – such as dedicated crew rest areas and acoustic isolation – were not new innovations unique to the Global 7500, but standard features dating back decades.
“Dedicated crew rest areas have been in place in aircraft since the 1970s starting with 747s, 767s and other aircraft,” the commenter wrote, adding that neither the operator nor the manufacturer had specified what standard the crew rest area was being shown to meet.
A second commenter, identifying as a current Global 7500 crewmember, was more direct.
“As a crewmember on a Global 7500, I can attest the crew rest area is not good enough for these kinds of flights. It barely works with the missions we fly now,” they wrote, citing the galley door, thin mattress pads and noise from the cabin as disruptive to rest.
They also raised concerns about self-certification of fatigue readiness. “The proposed self-attesting to non-fatigue is not acceptable, as the pressure to complete missions will override honest answers with flight duty pay on the line,” they said.
The FAA has not yet responded to the petition.
Public comments can be submitted via regulations.gov using docket number FAA–2026–3840.
