This comes after The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), comprising Air India, SpiceJet and IndiGo, had written at least twice to the regulator seeking more time for implementation of the revised FDTL norms.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation deferred its decision to implement the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, which include longer mandatory rest periods for pilots, from June 1. Instead, the aviation safety regulator has allowed carriers to continue following the existing FDTL rules till the time their own schemes as per the new rules are approved.
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Airlines had been voicing concerns that implementation of the new rules—aimed at better fatigue management through changes like longer weekly rest periods and fewer night landings as compared to the current norms—would result in a requirement of around 25 per cent more pilots, whom they would not be able to hire and train in such a short period.
Until such a scheme is not approved by the regulator, airlines can continue to roster their pilots for duty and work period based on old regulations formed in 2019, said a revised document issued on Tuesday.
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This comes after The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), comprising Air India, SpiceJet and IndiGo, had written at least twice to the regulator seeking more time for implementation of the revised FDTL norms that were issued on January 8.
In January, DGCA published a revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms which included a 12-hour increase in pilots’ weekly rest period, extension of night duty period, limiting the number of night landings to only two as against six earlier and mandating airlines to file quarterly fatigue reports. Airlines were given time till June 1 to comply with the revised FDTL regulations for rostering their pilots.
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In Aug last year, a 40-year-old IndiGo pilot suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away in the security hold area of Nagpur airport minutes before he was to board the aircraft to operate a flight to Pune. The death brought to fore a host of fatigue-related issues plaguing airline pilots and had the regulator undertake a review of the existent FDTL norms.
