Pilots' grouping flags pilot fatigue; urges govt to implement revised flight duty norms
pilot fatigue, pilots' grouping FIP has urged the civil aviation ministry to take steps for implementation of revised norms on flight duty and rest period at the earliest. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which has more than 6,000 members, had earlier also written to the civil aviation ministry on the revised CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) for pilots after DGCA postponed their implementation.
The revised CAR related to flight duty time limitation seeks to provide more rest time for pilots amid rising concerns over pilot fatigue. In March, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) decided to postpone its implementation.
In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, FIP President CS Randhawa has requested him to direct DGCA to implement the revised CAR at the earliest.
"...the action of the DGCA not only endangers pilot safety but also undermines the safety of passengers, which the implementation of the revised CAR could prevent," the letter said, referring to the regulator's move to postpone implementation of the CAR.
The letter, dated July 29, also claimed that the watchdog's failure to recognise the gravity of the fatigue issue not only jeopardises the lives of pilots but also gravely compromises the safety of the general public travelling by air.
On March 26, DGCA deferred the implementation of the CAR that was to come into effect from June 1. The decision had come less than two weeks after the regulator told airlines that the deadline would not be deferred.
Last month, a study by
