Airline violating night rest rule: Union

One of the two cabin crew unions of Air India has alleged that the airline management is denying the mandatory night rest to crew operating on international flights. The All India Cabin Crew Association reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last week.

One of the two cabin crew unions of Air India has alleged that the airline management is denying the mandatory night rest to crew operating on international flights. The All India Cabin Crew Association reported the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last week.

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According to the letter sent to AK Sharan, joint director general, DGCA (a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times) the union alleged that the airline has been making last minute changes to the flight plan in violation of the regulator's rule for night rest.

The rule for crew operating flights that cross more than 15 time zones cannot be assigned fresh duty before 48 hours of rest. “The rest period includes two nights of rest at the respective foreign city, but the airline is not allowing one full night,” said an airline crew member.

DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan told HT, “We are checking if the airline has violated any rules.” The complaint claims that despite a warning from regulator recently, the airline has been callous about safety issues such as using aircraft without sleeping bunks.