Saturday, August 26, 2023

India’s Air Safety Watchdog to Review Pilot Fatigue Data After Pilot’s Death

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India has launched a review of pilot fatigue data following the sudden death of an IndiGo pilot. The review aims to determine whether any policy changes are necessary to address concerns raised by Indian pilots regarding duty time regulations and fatigue.

The IndiGo pilot collapsed and died before his flight, prompting complaints from some Indian pilots about the strain they face from airlines. In response, hundreds of airline pilots plan to form an association to challenge flying duty regulations that they believe contribute to fatigue and compromise safety.

The DGCA has collected pilot fatigue data through spot checks and airline surveillance and will analyze it to assess the adequacy of current flight duty time regulations. The regulator may also request Indian airlines to provide details of pilot complaints related to fatigue.

India, being the world’s fastest-growing aviation market, is at the center of the global pilot fatigue problem. With the expansion plans of airlines like IndiGo and Air India, the issue of pilot fatigue becomes a critical concern.

Currently, India allows pilots to be on duty for 13 hours within a 24-hour period, without differentiation between day and night flights. In contrast, the United States limits pilots on two-pilot flights to a maximum of 14 hours for daytime flights and nine hours for late-night flights.

26/08/2023 Reuters/The 1014

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

0 comments:

Post a Comment