Court notice to Govt on pilots’ duty hours

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Union Government on a plea of the pilots' body against a rather strenuous duty roster of 1992 that requires them to undertake up to three fights within their nine-hour daily duty schedule.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan also sought response of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL), formed after the merger of Indian Airlines and Air India.
The pilots' body, Joint Action Committee of Airlines Pilots' Associations of India, has challenged a ruling of the last month by the Bombay High Court, which upheld the revised duty roster for the pilots.
On July 10 this year, the apex court had restored the 1992 duty roster for pilots, temporarily suspending an interim order of Bombay High Court, which on July 1 had implemented a duty roster requiring pilots to undertake only two flights during their daily duty schedule before earning a rest period of six hours.
02/12/08 Indian Express

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Dec 2008, NACIL Dec 2008, Safety Dec 2008