DGCA Asks Airlines To Provide Timeline For Implementing New Pilot Rest Norms

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked airlines on Wednesday (10 April) to indicate when they would be in position to implement the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules.

The FDTL rules is set to replace the existent Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on airline pilots’ duty period and prescribed rests which came into effect in May 2019.

The communication by the aviation safety watchdog follows a hearing in the Delhi High Court earlier this month, where the DGCA was asked to indicate the tentative date for the implementation of new regulations.

The DGCA has been asked to inform when FDTL is likely to come into effect in the next hearing scheduled for 8 May.

It may be recalled that the new rules were initially supposed to be enforced from 1 June. However, the timeline faced stiff resistance from airlines, following which it was deferred indefinitely by the DGCA on 26 March on civil aviation ministry’s order.

The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which comprises IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet, have previously written to the DGCA seeking postponement of the new rules by a year.