Key Points
The regulators action comes after complaints from a large number of pilots that they are being stretched by the airlines using the regulators soft rules which ensures they are not violating the norms..
Civil Aviation regulator DGCA has made significant changes to its rules which will ensure pilots get more rest and restrict the hours they work at night in the cockpit..
After in-depth analysis of pilot rosters, fatigue-related reports and direct feedback from pilots, we have introduced the new regulations that include increased rest periods, redefining night duty, and regular fatigue reports to be shared by airlines, Scindia said...
We want to limit the number of flights a pilot does during that period, a senior DGCA official said.. There has been an exponential increase in the number of red eye flights which depart at night and arrive the next morning over the last few years due to slot constraint at metro airports...
Over the last five months, DGCA had collected pilot fatigue data during spot checks and surveillance of airlines to see if regulations related to flight duty times or fatigue need to be changed, the official said...
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