Airline crews oppose DGCA proposal to fly more hours

A Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) proposal to increase the flight duty time limits (FDTL) of the cabin crew has got the latter huffing and puffing. Although the feedback of the crew members is invited by the DGCA till May 7, the verdict is mostly negative.
The proposal which is in its draft stage states that the maximum FDTL on ultra-long range(ULR) flights which is 16 hours, should be increased to 21 hours. The irony is that long haul flights like Mumbai-New York, Mumbai-London does not take more than 15 hours if they are on time.
“If these flights get delayed then we have to work for around 19 hours,” says a flight purser from Jet Airways. “It seems the move is to incorporate the flight delay time into our FDTL,” he says.
It also states that the airline can extend the duty of the crew upto 23 hours provided they provide them horizontal rest facility. In case of exceptional circumstances, the rest can be taken on ground after the aircraft lands.
27/04/08 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Apr 2008, Safety Apr 2008