- Air India was fined $95,000 for crew rest violations, including inadequate rest before and after long-haul flights.
- DGCA increased the minimum weekly rest for pilots from 36 to 48 hours.
- The DGCA aims to roll out a Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS).
NEW DELHI – Air India has been fined $95,000 (INR 8,000,000) by regulators for breaching Flight Time Limitations, rules that govern crew rest periods. This issue has been under close scrutiny by India’s regulators, particularly after the death of an IndiGo pilot last year, which was linked to insufficient rest.
During an audit, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) identified a series of violations by Air India. These included breaches of Flight Time Limitation (FTL) rules and failure to provide adequate rest periods for crew members before, after, and during layovers on long-haul flights.
The DGCA’s focus on this issue intensified after an incident last summer when an IndiGo pilot collapsed and died before his flight. This event led to other pilots lodging complaints, with some claiming they were being pushed to their limits by airlines, despite technically complying with duty time regulations. In response, regulators have made changes to crew rest rules, including increasing the minimum weekly rest period from 36 hours to 48 hours in January 2024.
The DGCA’s audit also uncovered other violations, such as flights being operated by two pilots both over the age of 60, inaccurately recorded training records, and overlapping duties. Following these findings, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to Air India at the start of the month. However, a fine was imposed on Friday after the DGCA found the airline’s response to be unsatisfactory.
Since the introduction of revised duty limitations earlier this year, airlines in India have had to adjust their scheduling and flight times due to a shortage of flight crew. It has become apparent that there is a nationwide need for more pilots. Vistara, an Indian carrier that is merging with Air India, has announced plans to increase its pilot numbers by 15 to 20% to mitigate the impact of the new flight duty time limitations. Similarly, Air India is recruiting pilots as it expands its route network and takes delivery of new aircraft.
Earlier this year, Air India also launched its own cadet pilot program. New pilots who join this program will be directly integrated into the airline upon completion of the course.
The DGCA is taking these issues seriously. Earlier this year, it required all Indian carriers to submit quarterly reports detailing instances of pilot fatigue and the actions taken by the airlines in response. The DGCA also announced plans to implement a Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) soon.
