Over two weeks after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced new measures to address concerns of pilot fatigue, the pilot unions of Air India – Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) and Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) – have appealed for the civil aviation regulator’s immediate intervention over alleged workload beyond duty hours.
In a letter to the DGCA, the unions stressed on the “grave concern regarding the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) compliance within Air India”.
“It has come to our notice that some pilots are facing intimidation and coercion to extend their FDTL beyond the prescribed limits by DOPS and base managers, including threats of jeopardising their career progression,” the letter dated January 26 read.
They alleged that such practices not only compromise the safety and well-being of the pilots, but also violate established regulations.
Air India is yet to comment on the matter.
The DGCA had on January 8 said that pilots must be given a break of 48 hours at the end of a week, up from the earlier 36 hours. Expanding the mandatory rest period, among several other measures aimed at addressing growing concerns of fatigue among flight crew, the DGCA also increased the night duty by an hour (now till 6am from midnight) and capped the maximum flight duty hours to 10 hours from the earlier 13 hours for pilots working at night.
The measures come at a time when the Indian civil aviation industry is grappling with a shortage of human resources, which has, according to pilot unions, led to them being overworked.
“We are committed to upholding the highest standards of safety and compliance within our organisation. However, the imported incidents undermine these principles and pose a serious risk to both our personnel and the integrity of our operations,” the letter read.
The pilots further said that if the violation of making pilots work beyond duty timings persists, “…we feel compelled to inform regulatory authorities with evidence, including call records, to ensure transparency and accountability”.
“We believe that our duty is not only to the company, but also to the safety of the passengers and the reputation of the aviation industry. We request your immediate intervention to investigate these allegations and put any coercive practices related to FOIL extensions. Trust that you will take the necessary steps to address the situation promptly,” the letter stated.
