Aviation regulator DGCA has asked airlines to submit a suggestive timeline that will be essential in executing the revised flight duty rules for the pilots, reported PTI. Last month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has postponed the implementation of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms as the airlines asked for more time for initiating them.
According to the norms, the DGCA has asked the airlines to come up with a timeline which will be needed in drafting the implementation of the amended rules.
What are FDTL norms?
These norms were supposed to come into force from June 1, under which pilots will be given sufficient rest and will also help in lessening pilot’s weariness. Once the revised norms will be implemented, a weekly resting time of 48 hours will be allotted to the pilots. The number of landings will be restricted to two in the night operations of the airlines. All the airlines will be required to put forward a report on fatigue faced by the pilots and it will be on a quarterly basis. The report will be confidential and will not follow any punishment rule. Earlier, the night hours of operations for pilots was to cover the period from midnight to 5 am while under the revised norm it has been stretched to 5 am.
The Delhi High court has asked the DGCA to specify a tentative date for the implementation of the revised rules on the next hearing which is slated to take place on May 8th, PTI reported. Four cases corresponding to FDTL norms have been brought to the court for hearing this month.
Pilot Crisis:
Meanwhile, DGCA has asked Vistara to submit a report on flight cancellations along with delays on a daily basis. The watchdog is also keeping a watch on the current pilot crisis which has resulted in cancellations of a number of flights and is also ensuring that the passengers don’t have to suffer more.
