The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has turned down a request from airlines seeking to postpone the implementation of new norms on pilot duty hours which will provide for more rest. The norms will come into force from June 1, the DGCA insisted, pointing to recent pilot deaths as a matter of urgency.
Underlining the importance of addressing fatigue among flight crew, the DGCA wrote to the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on March 14, saying that “the unfortunate instances of pilot deaths in the recent past, ostensibly due to punishing roster schedules and [the] consequent cumulative attendant impact on flight crew health and well-being, is an urgent wake-up call to address the issue without further delay.”
The regulator reiterated that the airlines must take all necessary steps to implement the revised rules from June 1, and also submit their internal company schemes conforming to the new norms by April 15.
