HC gives more time to DGCA to finalise norms on flight duty hours

The Delhi High Court today granted eight more weeks to aviation regulator DGCA to finalise fresh norms on flight duty and rest hours for cabin crew and pilots.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher, while granting time to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to finalise a fresh Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on flight and duty time limitations (FDTL), said the existing scheme will continue to operate till then.

The court also gave the regulator time till May 15 to upload the draft CAR.

The order came on an application moved by the DGCA, which on February 2 had been directed to come out with a fresh CAR within 12 weeks which expired on May 2.

The direction for a fresh CAR had come on a plea by an NGO--Dedicated to Aviation Safety and Health--and some Air India cabin crew members working on long-haul flights, who had challenged the existing 2016 rules on the ground that it did not take into account the fatigue faced by them due to their duty hours and the time they get for rest.

The NGO had claimed in its plea that cabin crew fatigue affected and put at risk their safety as well as those of the passengers.

DGCA lays down the rules or CARs on wide-ranging aviation issues, including those dealing with aircraft operations, aviation safety and technical management of airlines.