‘New pilot duty norms with more rest hours from July’

‘New pilot duty norms with more rest hours from July’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  24.02.2025

New Delhi : Directorate General of Civil Aviation has informed Delhi High Court that airlines will implement revised norms on duty and rest hours for pilots in a phased manner beginning July 1. The aviation watchdog also told the court recently that the remaining revised regulations will be implemented from Nov 1. 

Among other aspects, airlines will ensure that there are not more than 168 hours between the end of one weekly rest period and the start of the next under the revised norms. The directorate’s revised civil aviation requirement (CAR) relates to flight duty time limitation and seeks to provide more rest time for pilots amid concerns over pilot fatigue and was originally to be implemented from June 1, 2024. 

In an affidavit, it disclosed the phased implementation of the roadmap after considering the outcome of the minutes of the meetings among the representatives from the airlines, pilot groups and the civil aviation ministry. The court is hearing petitions filed by Indian Commercial Pilots Associ- ation, Indian Pilots Guild and Federation of Indian Pilots relating to DGCA's revised flight duty time limitations. Several significant changes were brought to the existing norms to tackle fatigue among pilots, the affidavit said, including that the weekly rest periods will be increased from the current 36 hours to 48 hours. “An operator shall ensure that the minimum weekly rest of continuous 48 hours, including two local nights, is provided such that there shall never be more than 168 hours between the end of one weekly rest period and the start of the next,” it said. 

The affidavit went on to add, “The operator shall provide weekly rest at home base/temporary home base. The 168 hours shall be calculated from the end of the preceding weekly rest period.” As per CAR, the maximum flight time and maximum flight duty period for flight operations at night were to be restricted to eight hours and 10 hours, respectively. The number of landings at night was to be confined to two landings compared to the present six. The high court had earlier asked DGCA to have a meeting with the associations, airlines, and the ministry.