Flying short-haul means doing multiple day trips. Short turnaround times and busy schedules provide peak loads, but also a wide range of flying experience in different environments. At night, the pilot is usually at the home base or overnight in a hotel. Aircraft and crew sometimes change several times a day.
Maximum of 60 hours flight time is allowed within a period of 7 days. Often airlines plan at this maximum. Flight rosters can be scheduled for up to fourteen hours a day and can go, exceptionally, to fifteen hours.
Daily work on long-haul is usually one flight per day. Sometimes, if the maximum flight time permits, it could go up to two short extra flights. The working hours may go up to 18 hours for expanded crew members (three pilots), and in exceptional cases until 21 hours. The minimum rest periods depend on the time zone difference between start and landing airport. As a general rule, the return flight starts after 24 hours. Time zone crossings and jetlag are part of any long-haul operation and can be cominer with “early starts” and “late finishes”.