Indian Airlines Urge Delay In New Pilot Rest Rules Amid Flight Disruption Fears: Here's All You Need To Know

A coalition of major Indian airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, Vistara and SpiceJet, represented by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), has urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to postpone the implementation of new regulations governing pilot rest and duty periods by a year.

Expressing apprehensions, the FIA warns that the proposed rules, slated to take effect from 1 June, would necessitate a 25 per cent increase in pilot numbers.

As reported by Economic Times, the group asserts that the stringent requirements would make it challenging to recruit and train additional pilots within the stipulated timeframe, potentially leading to the cancellation of up to 20 per cent of flights.

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Moreover, the FIA contends that the regulations are ambiguous and excessively restrictive compared to global standards, potentially undermining the competitiveness of the Indian aviation sector vis-à-vis other countries.

The new flight duty rules, unveiled by the DGCA in January, have entailed significant changes, including an extension of the night period by an hour, from 12 am-5 am to 12 am-6 am, and a reduction of the duty period to 10 hours.

Additionally, the regulations impose a cap on the number of landings a pilot can undertake to two, and reduce the permissible extension during unforeseen circumstances, such as inclement weather or air-traffic delays, from three hours to two.

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