Indian Aviation Authority Delays Implementation of New Pilot Rest & Duty Time Regulations

7 months ago Editor

India’s aviation regulatory body has postponed the enforcement of new regulations regarding pilots’ rest and duty times, according to an announcement on its website. The decision, made without specifying a reason or a revised deadline, comes after concerns were raised by a prominent airline industry group, as reported by the Economic Times last month. The group warned that the rush to comply with the new rules could lead to the cancellation of up to one-fifth of flights.

Originally introduced in January, the new rules aimed to improve pilot well-being by increasing weekly rest periods to 48 hours from 36 and reducing maximum night flight duty times from 13 hours to 10. However, in a recent update on the website, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed airlines to continue following the previous norms for the time being.

The decision to revise the regulations came after a thorough examination of data on pilot fatigue, which included spot checks and airline surveillance following a tragic incident involving a pilot from budget carrier IndiGo who collapsed and died before his flight last August. The Federation of Indian Airlines cautioned about the risks of flight cancellations, citing insufficient time to recruit and train the additional pilots needed to comply with the new rules.

Notably, Air India, owned by the Tata Group, faced penalties for violating existing flight duty time limits and fatigue management protocols. The revision of the notice has sparked criticism from pilots and aviation safety experts, who have expressed their dissatisfaction on social media platforms. Some have called for the new rules to be enshrined in law to prevent future reversals and ensure consistency in safety measures.