Airlines are warning that changes to existing practices around Daylight Saving Time (DST) would have a major impact on the industry and that changes would need to be implemented over time to account for challenges it would create for scheduling.
Airlines for America (A4A), a trade group that represents leading air carriers in the U.S., released a statement this week which warned that changes to DST “would have considerable implications for aviation, including passenger disruption, crew and aircraft positioning, and domestic and international connectivity issues.”
“Airlines operate expansive interconnected domestic and global networks that are reliant on stability and predictability. Any changes would need an implementation timeline that reflects these global complications,” the group said.
The warning came as the House on Tuesday advanced the Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to voluntarily observe DST throughout the year and end the twice-annual clock changes, on a bipartisan 308-117 vote that sent the legislation to the Senate.
The bill faces uncertainty in the Senate, though President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk, as the White House has urged lawmakers to support the legislation.
Most states currently follow the practice of “springing forward” in March by moving the clock forward an hour into Daylight Time, and then “falling back” by an hour in November into Standard Time.
Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states who don’t participate in that practice, while 20 states have approved legislation that would see them remain on DST permanently if authorized to do so by Congress.
Proponents of permanent daylight saving time argue it would eliminate the disruptions caused by switching clocks twice per year and boost tourism and outdoor activities with more sunlight in winter evenings.
Critics have argued that the earlier sunrises and sunsets of permanent standard time would better align with circadian rhythms, and would prevent situations when the sun may rise after 9 a.m. in the winter.
The American public remains broadly opposed to the current practice of changing the clock twice a year, as an AP-NORC survey released in December found just 12% of respondents were in favor of the current system, while nearly half were opposed.
The remaining 40% had no opinion.
The survey also asked about possible reforms and found that 56% of Americans would prefer to make daylight saving time permanent with more light in the evenings and less in the morning, while about 4 in 10 would rather make standard time permanent to have more light in the morning and less in the evening.
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