Under Watch: Tab on flight duty hours. Directorate General of Civil Aviation, “Flight and Duty Time Limitation” rules.

New Delhi, Aug. 31: The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) has decided to keep a tab on the duty hours of pilots and other crew members.

The regulator has asked all airlines to maintain an online record of the duty hours which they can regularly monitor.

The DGCA’s “Flight and Duty Time Limitation” rules specify the maximum flying hours for domestic and international pilots.

According to DGCA officials, they recently got a number of complaints from pilots of various airlines. “A number of them are not getting adequate rest between flights and this was affecting their work. Rules will be improved and finetuned so that all airlines follow suit,” said a DGCA official.

The officials said the improved system would have a provision of audit trail so that any change in data related to working hours could be tracked to its source.

“It will be fully in place by February 2012,” added the official.

A few months back, Air India pilots had complained to the DGCA as well as written to the Star Alliance complaining of overwork and fatigue. “We were facing many problems because of mismanaged duty rosters. This move will help us in a lot many ways. Violation of flight duty hours not only affects us but can also put the lives of passengers at risk. The DGCA does check the duty hours of pilots from time to time but if it is done on a routine basis airlines will be bound to follow the rules and not flout them at any point,” said a senior member of the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA).

According to the DGCA officials, work hours for pilots were framed in 1992. In 2007, the regulator had issued new rules, which provided more rest to the pilots, but the revised norms were initially put on hold following pressure from airlines. The Society for Welfare of Indian Pilots then approached the Supreme Court and the rules came into effect in the same year.

Air India and private carrier Jet Airways have been demanding that the 10-hour flight time for crew be revised. In the 1992 rules, the duty hours were fixed at nine but the DGCA allowed the airlines to increase it to 10.

Source:  http://www.telegraphindia.com