The global pilots body has warned of adverse effects if IndiGo is given any relaxation from the existing rules of pilots’ flight duty hours under the new FDTL norms. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last week granted IndiGo a one-time exemption from new instructions on night-duty rules after over 2,000 flights were cancelled by the airline, stranding over tens of thousands of passengers across the country.
The poor management of the new norms led to shortage of pilots, ultimately grounding of planes across the country. Now, according to Reuters, Captain Ron Hay, president of the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), flagged concerns around relaxing the norm for the airline.
He said that the decision to ease stricter rules on pilot rest should be reversed due to the adverse effect of fatigue on safety, Reuters quoted him as saying.
‘This is troubling…’
Taking note that the relaxation has been given due to the “staffing issues”, he said that this would lead to fatigue, affecting safety of the passengers.
“This is troubling as fatigue clearly affects safety,” Hay said, quoted Reuters. He further warned that the government’s decision could also exacerbate staffing issues given that working conditions account for one of the reasons pilots depart airlines based in the country.
IFALPA makes suggestions
Calling for a global standardisation of the roster and duty norms for the pilots, IFALPA said that it is pushing for a more specific global standard that would combat pilot fatigue evenly across regions. It said that under the UN aviation agency’s global standard, each country can set its own duty-time limits using scientific knowledge and operational experience.
Bur the result is that there are still regional differences, with some of the most robust systems to promote pilot rest found in Europe and the United States.
Meanwhile, the Air Line Pilots Association in Canada said the country’s regulator has proposed exemptions to science-based duty-time regulations. One proposed exemption is that Transport Canada would allow pilots to work up to 23 days in a row rather than having a day off per week, Reuters said.
Giving details, ALPA Canada President Captain Tim Perry said in an interview said, “If adopted we would have more pilots fatigued, more often, and with worse fatigue symptoms, all to the detriment of air safety.”