The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday asked Indian carriers to “indicate” a timeline to prepare and implement the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots.
FDTL norms are crucial as they guarantee sufficient rest for pilots, minimising the risk of untoward incidents. The new FDTL norms, which were issued in January, provide pilots with increased rest time.
While the regulator initially set a 1 June deadline for airlines to implement the new rules, it reversed its decision last month after airlines expressed concerns that they would have to reduce approximately 15-20 per cent of flights to comply with the norms.
