Air India has requested the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to relax pilot duty norms to operate long-haul flights due to the closure of airspace over West Asia.
Flights to North America are operating with increased flight times and making fuel stops in Rome due to the unavailability of these airspaces.
Air India is seeking a variation from the prescribed Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), citing operational constraints triggered by the airspace restrictions.
The airline has requested to extend the flying time to 11 hours and 30 minutes and increase the permissible Flight Duty Period (FDP) to 14 hours and 45 minutes.
The request is currently under examination by the aviation regulator.
