Proposed Regulation to Ensure that Pilots Adhere to Flight Duty Assignments

Cases often come to the notice of DGCA where some pilots employed with air transport undertakings do not adhere to their assigned flight duties, at times reporting sick. This has a bearing on flight safety and public interest, leading to last minute flight delays or cancellation, thereby causing inconvenience and harassment to the passengers. Against this background, DGCA has proposed a regulation under the provision of Rule 39A(2) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.

As per the proposed regulation, any act on the part of pilots wherein they are found to falsely report illness to escape flight duty, report late to the aircraft, do not undertake the flight even after reporting for flight duty or are unwilling to follow the dynamic roster well within the FDTL, which results in last minute flight disruptions and may imperil safety of aircraft operations, would be treated as an act against public interest, and the pilots would be liable for enforcement action against them. The proposal is at a draft stage and is being put up for public consultation. It is likely to be finalized by the second week of Dec 2016.

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