NEW DELHI- On Tuesday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced lifting the June 1 deadline for implementing revised pilot rest norms.
These norms, known as Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL), aim to ensure pilots receive adequate rest, thereby reducing the likelihood of untoward incidents. Issued in January, the updated FDTL norms extend pilot rest periods.
DCGA Extends Deadline
The regulatory authority announced on Tuesday that airlines may continue adhering to the previous Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, which were introduced in 2019, “until the approval of their respective schemes in compliance with this Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR).”
Last month, the Federation of Indian Airlines, representing IndiGo (6E), Air India (AI), Vistara (UK), and SpiceJet (SG), penned a letter to the regulator requesting a one-year postponement of the June 1 deadline.
They argued that implementing the new norms would require approximately 25% more pilots, a number they couldn’t recruit and train in time, potentially resulting in the cancellation of 15-20% of their flights.
On March 15, the regulator declined to extend the June 1 deadline.
The updated regulations have extended the weekly rest periods for flight crews from 36 to 48 hours per week. ‘
Additionally, the definition of ‘night’ has been adjusted; previously, spanning from midnight to 5 am, it now includes time up to 6 am.
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