India's Major Airlines Face Uphill Task as New Pilot Rest Rules Prove Unworkable
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New Delhi: The country's top airlines, which carry 95% of passengers, are pushing the government to relax strict pilot rest rules that have been in place since November. The rules, designed to boost passenger safety, have been deemed unsustainable by the airlines, which argue that they would require significant additional costs and manpower. The rules, known as flight duty time limitations (FDTL), were toughened after a protracted court battle led by pilots seeking stricter limits on working hours and rest periods. Under the new rules, pilots are entitled to 48 hours of continuous rest, including two full nights at their home base, and are limited to two consecutive night duties. However, the airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, and SpiceJet, claim that the rules are too stringent and would require them to hire more pilots, leading to increased costs. The government has not yet made a decision on the matter, but discussions are ongoing. The airlines' plea for relaxation comes after IndiGo was fined a record ₹20.2 crore for being exempted from the rules and another ₹1.8 crore for systemic oversight that led to its December collapse, which left 300,000 passengers affected. Pilots, however, are opposed to any relaxation, arguing that safety should be the top priority. "Safety cannot be compromised in any situation," said C S Randhawa, President of Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP). "If there is any untoward incident, pilots are the first ones to be blamed. The rest factor of a pilot needs to be taken as a priority.
