Revised DGCA norms limit cabin crew duty hours, introduce fatigue reporting

Under the revised norms, cabin crew can operate a maximum of eight to ten hours in any 24-hour period, depending on the number of landings and type of operation

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has revised duty time and rest regulations for cabin crew across Indian airlines to enhance flight safety and improve working conditions.

The DGCA has also capped cumulative flight hours at 35 hours in seven days, 100 hours in 28 days, and 1,000 hours in a year. Total duty time has been limited to 1,800 hours annually. (Representative photo)

The revised Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) comes amid growing concerns within the aviation industry over increasing flight schedules and fatigue-related risks among crew, particularly on long-haul routes.

Under the revised norms, cabin crew can operate a maximum of eight to ten hours in any 24-hour period, depending on the number of landings and type of operation. For long-haul (flights between six to 14 hours) or ultra-long-range flights (flights over 14 hours), the duty period can stretch up to 17 to 21 hours, but only if the airline carries extra crew members on board to enable in-flight rest.

The DGCA has also capped cumulative flight hours at 35 hours in seven days, 100 hours in 28 days, and 1,000 hours in a year. Total duty time has been limited to 1,800 hours annually.

According to the draft rules, airlines must now ensure that crew get a minimum rest equal to the preceding duty period or at least 12 hours, whichever is higher. If flights cross multiple time zones, rest requirements increase to 18 hours for up to seven zones and 36 hours for more than seven zones. It also states that each crew member must receive a weekly rest of 48 hours, including two local nights, and longer rest if assigned repeated night duties.

For ultra-long-haul flights, the draft rules say operators must provide dedicated crew rest areas with bunks and ensure at least 120 hours of rest on return to base.

In a key change, the DGCA has introduced a non-punitive fatigue reporting system, encouraging crew to report tiredness or excessive workload without fear of disciplinary action. Airlines will have to track and report fatigue incidents to the regulator every quarter and keep duty-rest records for at least 18 months.

Officials said the revised norms align India’s framework with international standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). “These changes aim to enhance safety while ensuring that crew members are adequately rested,” the circular by the DGCA read.

“The draft CAR for Cabin Crew has been issued by the DGCA. There are some good features, but there are also some bad portions. However, lots of this appears to suit the two major international airlines operating long-haul flights around 10 hours, and flies against certain tenets of aviation medicine logic. There is an ongoing and current litigation challenging the existing CARs and the previous draft CARs on strong legal and aviation medicine grounds with hundreds of pages of scientific submissions; hence that this draft repeated similar provisions that were before the High Court does surprise me. A lot of this new Draft CAR is similar to the last draft CAR, which was objected to and challenged in court…” aviation expert Sanjay Lazar said.