California flight crews push back as FAA seeks to preempt state meal breaks

The FAA proposes a rule to preempt state meal-break laws for aircrews, arguing that federal rules should override local protections and help avoid a patchwork of regulations that could affect airline prices, routes and services. California currently guarantees an uninterrupted 30‑minute meal break for crews working more than five hours, prompting three major flight-attendant unions to warn the FAA lacks authority to override state law and to threaten litigation, claiming insufficient consultation and potential safety implications. The dispute underscores tensions between federal preemption under the Airline Deregulation Act and California protections, with potential legal battles ahead.