Indian Aviation News
Pilots want DGCA relook at duty hours
by Bipin Shah Self Employed
Bipin Shah 
Self Employed
The approaching winter has prompted pilots from two airlines to renew their plea to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to streamline its policy on duty-hours for them.
The pilots have asked the DGCA to do away with the exemptions it gave two airlines on flight duty time limit (FDTL) in mid-2008 during the slowdown. These exemptions ? resulting in additional work hours for pilots, beyond DGCA?s Civil Aviation Requirement ? could jeopardise flight safety by increasing pilot fatigue, say the pilots.
?During winters, the flight time on west-bound flights will increase significantly because of westerly winds. Existing FDTL dispensations have the potential of increasing fatigue in the crew operating long flights,? said a pilot.
Till 2008, pilots of both airlines would fly for nine hours at a stretch within a duty period of 12 hours. In mid-2008, following a request from Air India and Jet Airways, the DGCA sanctioned an increase in work hours for the pilots of these two airlines, giving the airlines a dispensation under an existing 1992 CAR for flight duty timings. Airlines were allowed to put pilots on 10-hour flights within a duty period of 14 hours.
Pilots say DGCA conducted no scientific study nor were any risk mitigating factors introduced before sanctioning these dispensations. In fact, pilots of both Air India and Jet Airways have said through their pilot associations that pilot fatigue could be one of the reasons for the Mangalore crash.
The pilots of both airlines had approached the Bombay High Court. In August, the court asked the DGCA to respond to a petition by the pilots within eight weeks. Pilots say the DGCA is yet to do that. A senior DGCA official said the regulatory body was waiting for the two airlines to revert to it with comments on the pilots? petition.
?In India, we are following a 1992 CAR on flight duty timings, which is in itself is archaic. On this CAR, dispensations have been issued, making it ineffective,? said A Ranganathan, air safety consultant to airlines, who is on DGCA?s panel for air safety.
Nov 11th 2010 21:25
Self Employed
The approaching winter has prompted pilots from two airlines to renew their plea to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to streamline its policy on duty-hours for them.
The pilots have asked the DGCA to do away with the exemptions it gave two airlines on flight duty time limit (FDTL) in mid-2008 during the slowdown. These exemptions ? resulting in additional work hours for pilots, beyond DGCA?s Civil Aviation Requirement ? could jeopardise flight safety by increasing pilot fatigue, say the pilots.
?During winters, the flight time on west-bound flights will increase significantly because of westerly winds. Existing FDTL dispensations have the potential of increasing fatigue in the crew operating long flights,? said a pilot.
Till 2008, pilots of both airlines would fly for nine hours at a stretch within a duty period of 12 hours. In mid-2008, following a request from Air India and Jet Airways, the DGCA sanctioned an increase in work hours for the pilots of these two airlines, giving the airlines a dispensation under an existing 1992 CAR for flight duty timings. Airlines were allowed to put pilots on 10-hour flights within a duty period of 14 hours.
Pilots say DGCA conducted no scientific study nor were any risk mitigating factors introduced before sanctioning these dispensations. In fact, pilots of both Air India and Jet Airways have said through their pilot associations that pilot fatigue could be one of the reasons for the Mangalore crash.
The pilots of both airlines had approached the Bombay High Court. In August, the court asked the DGCA to respond to a petition by the pilots within eight weeks. Pilots say the DGCA is yet to do that. A senior DGCA official said the regulatory body was waiting for the two airlines to revert to it with comments on the pilots? petition.
?In India, we are following a 1992 CAR on flight duty timings, which is in itself is archaic. On this CAR, dispensations have been issued, making it ineffective,? said A Ranganathan, air safety consultant to airlines, who is on DGCA?s panel for air safety.
Nov 11th 2010 21:25
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