AMN / WEB DESK
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has increased weekly rest periods from 36 hours to 48 hours for flight crew. As per the revised flight duty time rules issued by DGCA, night duty will now cover the period from midnight to 6 am in the morning as compared to five am earlier. The maximum flight time and maximum flight duty period for flight operations encroaching night have been restricted to 8 hours flight time and 10 hours flight duty period respectively. DGCA said that the changes in the regulations have been done to address pilot fatigue, enhance overall flight safety and balance growth in aviation sector.
According to the new rules, the number of landings has been limited to only two landings as compared to maximum permissible six landings under previous regulations during night operations. DGCA has mandated that all airline operators shall submit quarterly fatigue reports after analysis, including the Action Taken on such reports. Airline operators are required to comply with revised regulations latest by 1st june, this year.
DGCA further said that it aims to transition towards a new regime of Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) that will be a data-driven approach to enhance monitoring of flight crew fatigue. Hailing the reforms, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said that the introduction of the new regulations are in line with international best practices. He said that it will ensure that India has the necessary arsenal as it prepares to clinch the largest domestic aviation market title in the future.