Revised flight duty norms to be implemented from Jun 2025: IndiGo, AI tell DGCA

PTI, Dec 19, 2024, 8:24 AM IST

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Two major airlines IndiGo and Air India have told aviation regulator DGCA that the revised flight duty norms for pilots can be implemented only in a phased manner starting from June next year, according to sources.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s revised Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) relates to flight duty time limitation seeks to provide more rest time for pilots amid concerns over pilot fatigue.

Initially, the new norms were to come into effect from June 1 this year but was postponed.

The pilots’ bodies — Indian Pilots Guild, Indian Commercial Pilots Association and Federation of Indian Pilots — told the DGCA that they want the norms to be fully implemented at the earliest from February 15, the sources told PTI.

IndiGo has informed the regulator that the CAR can be implemented starting from June next year, with weekly rest period for pilots to be increased from 36 hours to 40 hours, they said.

The impact of the change will be assessed with a view to potentially increase the weekly rest period after June 2025, they added.

Among others, the airline has informed the watchdog that from October 2026, it will restrict night landings for a pilot to a maximum of two during the night period of 12 am to 5 am, subject to certain conditions.

The sources said IndiGo has also mentioned that the overall impact of implementing the changes would require around three per cent increase in crewing requirements.

In its submission to DGCA, Air India said the CAR can implemented in a phased manner starting from June 2025 to ensure a smooth transition, the sources said.

Air India has also told the regulator that new definition of night duty and increased rest periods, among others, will raise practical concerns.

While noting that these measures will be best realised within an Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS), the airline has also flagged that prescriptive regulations may not fully capture the dynamic nature of fatigue risks and lack validation through data specific to its operations, they said.

The sources also said that the CAR under which norms have been revised is independent of the FRMS and both should not be clubbed.

Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court during a hearing on pleas from the pilots’ associations on the fatigue norms asked DGCA to have a meeting with the associations, airlines and ministry on December 18 (Wednesday).

During the meeting, airlines presented their views and sought more time for implementing the norms, the sources said.

On March 26, DGCA deferred the implementation of the CAR that was to come into effect from June 1. The decision had come less than two weeks after the watchdog told airlines that the deadline would not be deferred.