Indian Pilots Association Challenges DGCA's Extended Flight Duty Hours for Boeing 787 Operations

Air India is currently the only Indian carrier operating Boeing 787 aircraft. (File)

New Delhi:

India's aviation regulator has approved an extension of flight duty hours for specific Boeing 787 Dreamliner routes, sparking significant criticism from the country's pilots' association due to safety and fatigue concerns.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday authorized increasing the Flight Duty Period (FDP) for two-pilot Boeing 787 operations from 13 to 14 hours and extended the maximum Flight Time from 10 to 10.5 hours.

The FDP encompasses the entire duration a flight crew member remains on duty for aircraft operations, beginning when the crew reports for duty and ending after the aircraft completes its final flight, stops, and the engines are turned off.

This extension applies to eight international routes, including Delhi-Copenhagen, Delhi-Milan, Delhi-France (two flights), Ahmedabad-London Gatwick, London Gatwick-Amritsar, Delhi-Zurich, and Birmingham-Amritsar.

The regulator stated the change was necessary to "prevent passenger inconvenience, flight disruptions and downstream roster irregularities" following Pakistani airspace closure that has forced airlines to reroute numerous long-haul flights. The directive also mandates crew members receive an additional hour of rest during layovers and prohibits flight training on these sectors.

Air India, currently the sole Indian carrier operating Boeing 787 aircraft, uses the same model involved in the June 12 Ahmedabad crash that resulted in multiple passenger fatalities.

The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA-India) has strongly opposed the DGCA's decision, describing it as "a matter of grave operational and safety concern." In correspondence to the regulator, the pilots' organization warned that extending duty hours "creates a scenario ripe for fatigue-induced errors" and contradicts established global safety practices.

"The existing 10-hour limit is already on the upper threshold of safe fatigue management," the association emphasized, adding that "there is no shortage of pilots in India to justify such an extension."

The pilots also referenced a recent US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directive restricting the captain's seat recline function on Boeing 787 aircraft due to safety concerns, which has significantly diminished the effectiveness of in-flight rest during extended flights. "This restriction has had a direct and severe impact on crew rest quality," their letter noted.

According to ALPA-India, airlines worldwide have responded to the FAA's directive by deploying additional operating crew to mitigate fatigue risk. "In sharp contrast, it is deeply concerning that the DGCA has chosen to extend the Flight Duty Time Limit for two-man crew operations instead of mandating augmented crew," the association stated.

The pilot body further questioned the regulator's decision-making priorities, suggesting that "the DGCA appears to have placed the convenience of flight operators above flight safety." They emphasized that India's Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on Flight Duty Time Limitations was designed to protect pilots and passengers alike, based on comprehensive research aligned with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines on human fatigue management.