AI circular on pilots' excess hours withdrawn

Air India on Saturday withdrew a circular extending the number of working hours for pilots in an emergency issued by it without the sanction of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the aviation regulator. Soubhik Mitra reports.

Air India on Saturday withdrew a circular extending the number of working hours for pilots in an emergency issued by it without the sanction of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the aviation regulator.

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The circular, a copy of which is with HT, was issued three days ago and claimed that the regulator had removed the four-hour cap on extra hours the pilots would have to put in during an emergency.

It said that the airline had been permitted to extend their duty timings, along with those of cabin crew, "indefinitely" in situations such as flight diversions because of fog.

The DGCA has now asked AI for an explanation. DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan told this paper, "It is an erroneous circular. We have sought an explanation."

AI officials refused to comment. Crew fatigue is a major reason behind air accidents. According to the International Federation of Airline Pilots Association (IFALPA), which represents more than a lakh pilots, the relative risk of an accident increases by a multiple of four for crew on duty for over 12 hours.