DGCA’s Pilot Duty Norms to Take Flight from July 1; Check the Airlines Stance

Delhi High Court on Monday disposed of a case that raised rest hours for pilots from the current 36 hours to 48 hours, which will be effective from July 1. The move by the HC came after an undertaking that laid down the timeline for the implementation of the revised norms was submitted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Hindu reported. The court mentioned that in case the deadline to implement the revised rule is violated, the petitioners can approach the court.

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Other Changes

Apart from the increase in rest hours, the night flying hours will also extend from midnight to 6 a.m. from the present 5a.m. This comes as the DGCA widened the definition of night duty for pilots. The aviation regulator has also capped the number of landings to two. Both these changes are set to kick start from July 1. 

Airlines Take on It 

For the submission of a plan as to how the revised DGCA norms will be implemented, airlines like Air India sought a 15-day time frame and an additional 45 days after the regulator grants approval.  

The court in the same order noted that the implementation timeline can’t extend beyond the July 1 deadline to execute the revised norms. 

Earlier in December 2024, in a letter addressed to the regulator, the two major airlines by market share, Air India and IndiGo, had opposed the proposed changes related to the reduction in night flying hours, citing operational impact. According to the Hindu report, IndiGo had rejected the regulator’s move to widen the definition of night flying hours. On the other hand, Air India mentioned that it will abide by the new definition of night flying once the regulator implements the Fatigue Risk Management System.

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The revised norms were initially notified by DGCA in January last year and were supposed to be implemented from June 1 in the same year, but due to opposition from the airlines the timeline got stretched.