Quicker licences likely as airlines implement DGCA's digital initiative

Integrating eGCA with their internal software, will help minimise the time taken to fill pilots' e-log books, and eliminate manual intervention as well

Issue and renewal of pilot licences could become quicker as a part of a Directorate General of Civil Aviation e-governance initiative.

“We have engaged with all the scheduled airlines to integrate eGCA software with their internal software, whereby pilots’ flying records can be directly transferred into their e-logbooks on the eGCA portal. This will not only minimise the time taken to fill e-log books, but also eliminate manual intervention,” said Director General of Civil Aviation, Arun Kumar, on Sunday.

eGCA is the civil aviation regulator’s e-governance mechanism. Launched in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services in 2019, it enables online application and delivery of over 300 services, including various approvals, certifications and licensing.

While the country’s largest airline IndiGo launched a digital e-log book for its pilots earlier this month, all other scheduled domestic airlines are expected to launch it within two months.

A pilot log book records the number of hours flown and is crucial for purposes of licence application, renewal, endorsements etc. While earlier these would be in the form of physical log books now the data is stored in online format in an e-logbook. However even till now pilots have to log in details of their flight in the online DGCA e-logbook.

As a part of the ongoing initiative, data from an aircraft would be fetched directly by the eGCA portal and thus existing multi-layer data validation system will be done away with. “As the manual intervention in the process has been reduced to almost negligible, the integration will also help DGCA in faster processing of applications,” Kumar added.

In a statement earlier this month IndiGo had said owing to this automated process, the flying hours entered in eGCA e-logbook will have consistency of data and format for all the stakeholders, which will increase safety and efficiency in operations. This will also offer real time availability of flying hours data for pilots in compliance with rules, it said.