Roster publication
The date the airline releases next month's roster; EASA guidance points to at least 14 days' notice so crew can plan rest.
Definition
Roster publication is the moment the airline releases the coming period's duties to crew. EASA requires operators to publish rosters sufficiently in advance for crew to plan adequate rest, with 14 days as the guidance figure; US carriers publish monthly bid awards on contract-fixed dates in the second half of the previous month; Gulf carriers typically release around a week before month-end. After publication the airline may still change duties within its notice rules, but the published roster is what your days off and rest are measured against.
What it means for you
Roster day is the most-watched date on the crew calendar, and it is the point at which planning your life becomes possible: leave requests, swaps and commuting flights all begin from it. Learn your airline's rules on post-publication changes — how much notice a change needs, and which changes to days off require your consent — because late notice is where most roster disputes start.
In practice
A Lufthansa crew member checks the app on roster day, sees a Cape Town trip against a request that was granted, and immediately lists a standby flight from Leipzig for the evening before the Frankfurt report.
Related terms
4 terms- RosterRoster & schedulingYour published block of duties for the month: flights, standbys, training, days off and leave, built against legal duty limits.
- BiddingRoster & schedulingRequesting the trips, days off or patterns you want for the coming month, with awards decided by seniority or a points system.
- Days offRoster & schedulingRostered days free of all duty at home base; the number per month is one of the biggest quality-of-life differences between airlines.
- Roster swapRoster & schedulingExchanging a rostered duty with a colleague, subject to legality checks and crewing approval; how crew shape a company-built roster.