U-turn by DGCA: New pilot duty norms deferred; airlines given indefinite time to implement scheme

The aviation watchdog, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has put the new pilot duty norms in abeyance. Airlines have been given indefinite time to put a scheme in place that would comply with the provisions of the revised rest rules. As of now, the airlines will continue to follow the pilot duty roster formed as per old regulations in 2019.

It was until a few weeks back that the DGCA rejected requests by airlines to postpone the new pilot duty norms, reiterating that the revised schedule will have to be implemented from June 1, 2024. The DGCA had notified the revised rules governing duty hours and rest periods for pilots in January early this year.

The new rules, which are now deferred, will provide enhanced weekly rest for pilots, which has gone up from 26 hours to 48 hours. The rules have also reduced nighttime flying, which is known to contribute to fatigue and impact alertness levels.

As per the 2019 regulations, which are currently continuing, a pilot could carry out six landings during nighttime flying, which will eventually reduce to two, as per the new rules. The maximum flight duty period for flights encroaching nighttime has also been reduced to eight hours from 10 hours, as per the new rules.

The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), comprising Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, wrote to the DGCA in February seeking postponement of the June 1 implementation deadline as it could have a significant impact on their businesses, and the airlines would be required to hire up to 25 per cent more pilots, leading to the cancellation of a considerable number of flights.

DGCA's motive for introducing the new flight duty norms was to tackle the issue of fatigue of pilots and to further strengthen safety in the sector.

Many airlines are grappling with pilot shortages compared to the demand in the sector. As of December 2023, there were a total of 771 aircraft with various Indian airlines, and 9,524 commercial pilots registered with the DGCA, as per data from CAPA.