(Photo courtesy of Creative Commons).

The FAA's update of the rules, some of which date back to the 1960s, reflect a better understanding of the need for rest and how night shifts and traveling through time zones can increase errors, the Associated Press reported.

The "sweeping" overhaul of the pilots' shifts was sparked in part by the February 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 that killed 50 people, the Los Angeles Times reported. The plane stalled and crashed over western New York. Pilot error was determined to be the cause.

"This is a major safety achievement," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a press release. "This new rule raises the safety bar to prevent fatigue."

The rules would limit the maximum time a pilot can be scheduled to be on duty - including wait time and administrative duties - to between nine and 14 hours, the AP reported. Pilots will be scheduled to fly a maximum of eight to nine hours. Pilots will receive a minimum rest of 10 hours between duty periods, an increase of two hours. Pilots flying overnight will be allowed fewer flight hours than pilots that fly during the day.

Cargo carriers which do most of their flying overnight, however, are exempted from the new rules, the AP reported. The FAA said in their press release that forcing cargo carriers to reduce the number of hours their pilots can fly "would be too costly compared to the benefits generated in this portion of the industry."

FAA officials told the AP that imposing the rules on cargo airlines like Federal Express or United Parcel Service would have added another $214 million to the cost to the aviation industry. The FAA estimated the cost of the new rules at $297 million over 10 years, and the benefits between $247 million to $470 million.

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Reach executive producer Agnus Dei Farrant here.