India
oi-Gaurav Sharma
India’s
aviation
network
has
been
thrown
off
balance
as
airlines
struggle
to
adapt
to
newly
revised
Flight
Duty
Time
Limitations
(FDTL)
for
pilots
and
cabin
crew.
The
updated
rules-introduced
to
enhance
safety
and
curb
pilot
fatigue-have
sharply
reduced
crew
availability,
triggering
widespread
delays,
cancellations
and
passenger
inconvenience
across
major
airports.
The
new
regulations
require
airlines
to
overhaul
their
rostering
system,
especially
for
night
operations
and
high-frequency
routes.
Several
carriers,
particularly
those
operating
dense
domestic
schedules,
were
caught
unprepared
for
the
immediate
impact
of
the
reforms.
With
more
pilots
now
mandated
to
take
longer
rest
breaks
and
avoid
extended
duty
windows
at
night,
airlines
have
found
themselves
short-staffed
during
peak
travel
weeks.
India’s
airlines
are
facing
disruptions
due
to
newly
revised
Flight
Duty
Time
Limitations
(FDTL)
for
pilots
and
cabin
crew,
implemented
to
enhance
safety
and
curb
pilot
fatigue,
resulting
in
flight
delays
and
cancellations.
The
updated
regulations
include
longer
rest
periods,
stricter
night-duty
regulations,
and
shorter
maximum
duty
hours,
affecting
airline
operations
and
crew
availability.
delays
India
The
situation
has
been
worsened
by
winter
congestion
and
increased
passenger
load,
leaving
carriers
with
very
little
operational
flexibility.
As
a
result,
dozens
of
flights
have
been
grounded
daily,
prompting
long
queues,
protests
and
significant
frustration
among
travellers.
While
the
new
FDTL
norms
aim
to
improve
long-term
safety,
airlines
will
need
time
to
recalibrate
schedules,
hire
additional
crew
and
stabilise
operations.
Until
then,
intermittent
disruptions
are
likely
to
continue.
🔹
Key
New
Duty
Rules
That
Affected
Airline
Operations
1.
Longer
Mandatory
Rest
Periods
Crew
must
now
receive
increased
weekly
rest
hours,
reducing
the
number
of
days
they
can
be
rostered
for
flights.
2.
Stricter
Night-Duty
Regulations
A
broader
window
is
now
classified
as
night
duty,
limiting
how
long
pilots
can
operate
in
fatigue-prone
hours.
3.
Shorter
Maximum
Duty
Hours
The
maximum
number
of
hours
a
pilot
can
fly
in
a
single
duty
period-especially
overnight-has
been
significantly
reduced.
4.
More
Time
Required
Between
Shifts
Mandatory
rest
between
flight
duties
has
been
extended,
preventing
back-to-back
rosters.
5.
Enhanced
Fatigue
Monitoring
Airlines
must
maintain
detailed
fatigue-management
records,
and
pilots
are
encouraged
to
report
exhaustion
without
fear
of
penalty.
6.
Tighter
Limits
on
Consecutive
Duties
Restrictions
on
how
many
consecutive
days
a
pilot
can
be
on
duty
have
been
tightened,
reducing
weekly
flight
hours.
