Airlines are playing with their lives, pilots bluntly told DGCA, listed the shortcomings

FDTL, Airlines & Pilots: The tension among pilots regarding Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) is continuously increasing. Airlines Pilots Association of India (ALPA INDIA) has written a letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clearly stating that many Indian airlines are twisting the rules of flight duty time limitation for their own benefit. Due to this attitude of the airlines, pilots are constantly getting tired and flight safety is under serious threat. Besides, the safety of the crew and passengers is also at risk.

Regarding the meeting held with DGCA and Flight Standards Directorate (FSD) on November 24, Association President Captain Sam Thomas says that we have got full opportunity to express our views. In the meeting, DGCA also admitted that some airlines are not only deliberately misinterpreting the rules, but are also violating them. Pilots say that the purpose of FDTL rules is to provide adequate sleep and rest to the pilots, so that they remain alert and accidents do not happen. But airlines are weakening these rules in order to save money and run more flights.

9 flaws pointed out by pilots to DGCA

1. Half-way implementation of the rule: The association alleges that many airlines say that they will implement FDTL phase wise or take exemptions. On this issue, pilots say that exemption should be given only in very special circumstances and after complete security check. Otherwise it is a compromise with security.
2. Airlines have arbitrariness in rostering policy: Ignoring the rules of DGCA, many airlines are making their own separate rostering policy. Doing this is a direct violation of DGCA rules. Pilots demand that no such policy should be valid without the written approval of DGCA.
3. Change in rules in the operations manual: The association also alleges that the airlines do not completely copy the original FDTL of DGCA, but shorten or change it. Pilots want that first the entire basic rules should be written in the manual as it is, only then the airlines should add their views separately and that too with the approval of DGCA.
4. Duty changes even 12 hours in advance: Pilots demand that the roster should be fixed in advance, but many companies change duty just 12 hours in advance without the pilot’s consent. Because of this, pilots are always in fear and it never really feels like a holiday. Pilots say that written consent is necessary for the change.
5. Arbitrariness in counting rest hours: According to the association, airlines start counting 48 hours right after the end of duty. Whereas the rule says that two full calendar days and two local nights should be obtained. That means two full holidays after the duty day. But this does not happen.
6. Discrimination regarding home base in foreign flights: Pilots gave an example and said that on a Delhi-Europe round trip, a Delhi base pilot gets 36 hours of rest, but a Mumbai base pilot gets only 18 hours of rest in Delhi. Then rest for 18 hours on return to Mumbai. This means that both pilots flying the same flight get different rest. Pilots say that the whole of India should be considered as home base for long international flights, everyone should get equal rest.
7. Misuse of deadhead transportation: Pilots say that when a pilot is on a flight as a passenger, airlines consider it deadhead transportation. There is a complaint that the airlines companies do not consider it as an operating sector. This increases the limit of night landing. Pilots say that deadhead is also tiring and should be accounted for.
8. Airlines’ game regarding weekly off: It is alleged that the actual weekly off is reduced by adding weekly leave to annual leave or sick leave. Pilots want their weekly off to be always different and complete.
9. Not giving a buffer of 10 hours after every leave: Some airlines provide 10 hours of extra rest only after the annual leave, they do not get anything after the rest of the illness, casual, emergency leaves. Pilots demand that a buffer of 10 hours should be mandatory after every leave.

Pilots have this demand from DGCA
After these nine things, FDTL has demanded from DGCA that the rules of FDTL should be implemented 100 percent strictly. Companies should be prevented from changing the rules for their own benefit. No new rostering guideline should be valid without the approval of DGC. The definition of comfort and home base should be uniform across the country. Apart from this, where there is confusion, clear instructions should be issued immediately.