DGCA duty hour rule adds to pilot shortage

Mumbai/New Delhi: New flight duty time limitations (FDTL) issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are worsening an already acute pilot shortage and adding Rs 300 crore to the industry’s burden by way of fresh recruitment.
Under the guidelines, pilots have less time to fly and airlines say they will have to recruit 20 to 25 per cent more pilots, at a time when there is a shortage of pilots across the globe.
The DGCA has included non-flying hours within an overall annual duty cap of 1,600 hours per pilot, within which the number of flying hours has been capped at 1,000 hours a year.
The earlier cap, at 1,000 hours, was restricted to the number of flying hours. Now, the time that pilots lose owing to delays, airport congestion or diversions, will all be counted within the duty cap.
The DGCA has also increased the mandatory rest period for a pilot per day from eight to ten hours.
Airline companies have protested against the guidelines. The DGCA issued these in August but airlines have just begun to feel the impact.
Air Deccan, which has around 450 pilots, has estimated that the guidelines will require it to recruit 15 to 20 per cent more. Air India and SpiceJet also estimate a 20 per cent additional requirement.
For pilots flying aircraft that land at midnight, the guidelines also stipulate extra two hours’ rest – over and above the stipulated rest period – for every hour of delay past midnight.
22/12/07 Manisha Singhal & Anirban Chowdhury/Business Standard