Pilots File Contempt Plea Over Flight Duty Norms

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Friday said it will file a contempt petition against aviation regulator DGCA for not fully implementing the new flight duty time limitation norms approved by the Delhi High Court earlier this year.

The proposed move comes against the backdrop of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) making certain relaxations in the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) framework, including allowing more night landings and duty time extension for two-pilot Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operations.

In a statement on Friday, FIP President C S Randhawa said the federation will file the contempt petition against the DGCA for not fully implementing the new FDTL norms.


FIP said the regulator has already started giving dispensations to various airlines, including Air India, and alleged that more importance is given to commercial interests than safety.

Earlier this year, DGCA, in its affidavit before the Delhi High Court, said the new FDTL norms will be implemented in a phased manner. Of the 22 proposed clauses, 15 were implemented from July 1 this year and the remaining are to be effective from November 1.

The watchdog's revised CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) 2024 related to the FDTL provides for more rest time for pilots amid concerns over pilot fatigue. Initially, the new norms were to come into force from June 1, 2024.

The court's decision followed pleas filed by Indian Commercial Pilots Association, Indian Pilots Guild and Federation of Indian Pilots relating to the regulator's revised FDTL norms.