Why has India’s aviation regulator put new rules on pilots’ rest, duty time on hold?

New guidelines on pilot rest and duty periods have been suspended by the civil aviation authority, DGCA.

Airlines now have indefinite time to implement a plan that complies with the updated rest regulations.

The airlines will currently stick to the pilot duty roster that was created in 2019 in accordance with the previous regulations.

The development comes days after it rejected requests by airlines to postpone the new norms, reiterating that the revised schedule will have to be implemented from 1 June.

According to The Times of India sources, the move comes from the Ministry of Civil Aviation as the government was concerned about cancellation of flights during election season. The new rules are likely to be framed after further consultations with airlines.

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The deferred new rules

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had notified the revised rules governing duty hours and rest periods for pilots in January earlier this year.

The new rules, which are now postponed, will provide enhanced weekly rest for pilots, which has gone up from 26 hours to 48 hours. Additionally, it lessens flying at night, which is known to increase fatigue and lower attention.

A pilot may make six landings during night flight under the present standards from 2019, which will gradually drop to two under the new regulations.

The revised regulations also limit the maximum flying duty period for flights that approach nighttime to eight hours from 10 hours.

Several Indian pilots are complaining of fatigue, owing to increased number of flights. Image used for representational purposes/Reuters

Besides, the night hours for pilots will be extended to cover the period from 12 am-6 am, whereas it was 12 am-5 am hours earlier.

Additionally, all airlines are required to provide quarterly fatigue reports, which are to be submitted in accordance with a non-punitive and confidential policy.

The reason for the amendment

The regulator responded to complaints from multiple pilots that airlines were exploiting its lax regulations to extend their work hours without informing them, so it changed the duty hours.

A pilot's sense of judgement and timing can be affected, perhaps resulting in a human error, when they experience a decline in mental and physical performance together with a lack of attention.

Flight pilot fatigue is defined by the DGCA as a physiological and psychological state of exhaustion and weariness that pilots experience as a result of extended awake periods and/or inadequate restorative sleep.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has identified pilot fatigue as a crucial factor for large aircraft and identifies it as “state of well-being and fitness for duties.”

Last year in August, an IndiGo pilot died due to a sudden cardiac arrest at the Nagpur airport minutes before operating the flight.

Earlier in January this year, the Indonesian Airbus A320 veered off course for a while as its pilots dozed for nearly half an hour mid-flight. According to BBC, the aircraft, however, landed safely, with no harm to any of the 153 passengers and crew members.

A 2022 study by the non-profit organisation Safety Matters Foundation stated that 66 per cent of 542 surveyed Indian pilots admitted falling asleep on the flight without the consent of their fellow pilots.

About 31 per cent revealed having a close call while flying which could have caused an incident due to fatigue.

Also read: How do pilots beat fatigue, stay awake? They pop this pill

Criticism from airlines

In a letter to the DGCA in February, the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which is made up of Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, requested a postponement of the 1 June implementation deadline since it might have a major effect on their companies.

It further stated that the regulations will reduce the competitiveness of the Indian aviation sector relative to other nations and are the most stringent globally.

They also stated that by 1 June, they won't be able to hire and train new pilots, which will force them to increase their pilot count by 25 per cent and cancel up to 20 per cent of their flights.

Airlines have expressed concern, claiming that during the busiest summer travel season, flight cancellations would result in higher airfares.

Due to budgetary constraints and engine problems, about 20% of Indian airlines' fleet is grounded, meaning that, rates have already increased.

Pilot shortages are a problem for many airlines relative to industry demand. According to data from CAPA, as of December 2023, there were 9,524 commercial pilots registered with the DGCA and a total of 771 aircraft with various Indian airlines.

With inputs from agencies