Pilots

The aviation regulator has issued stricter norms for VVIP flights, directing pilots to prioritise safety, resist undue pressure and follow enhanced operational protocols

Pilots' grouping ALPA India on Friday urged the civil aviation ministry and regulator DGCA to suspend flight operations into high-risk conflict zones till a centralised risk assessment is carried out amid the escalating West Asia crisis. Stressing the need for having war-risk insurance, it also said the watchdog should mandate immediate disclosure and verification of valid insurance coverage, including war-risk clauses, for all crew operating into or near conflict zones. The Middle East conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran has significantly disrupted flight operations, and airlines have curtailed their services. In a letter to DGCA, Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) said commercial airlines do not possess the requisite intelligence, surveillance capabilities, or geopolitical risk assessment infrastructure necessary to adequately evaluate threats in active conflict environments. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should immediately review and ...

Federation of Indian Pilots warns that DGCA's temporary relaxation in flight duty limits for Air India long haul flights could heighten fatigue risks and compromise safety

Large chunks of the West Asian airspace have since remained closed for commercial flights

Akasa Air has launched a long-term incentive plan offering up to ₹25 lakh for captains to retain pilots amid rising competition in India's fast-growing aviation sector

Hiring comes after over 5,000 flight cancellations in December 2025 due to new DGCA rest rules; airline increases crew strength, training and schedule buffers to avoid repeat disruptions

Aviation safety regulator DGCA has put in place stricter breath analyser test requirements for pilots, wherein those found repeatedly violating the norms could even face cancellation of their pilot license, according to a source. Under the revised norms, which came into effect from February 9, FATA (Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation) of an expatriate pilot operating in India will be cancelled and not considered again if that cockpit crew tests positive for alcohol consumption during pre-flight breath analyser examination. Among other provisions, the license of a pilot who tests positive in a Breath Analyser (BA) test before operating a flight on three occasions will be cancelled, the source said. In September last year, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had proposed changes to the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on the procedure for medical examination for crew members for alcohol consumption before and after operating a flight. "For confirmatory BA readings u

An Air India pilot was detained at Vancouver airport over an alleged alcohol concern, delaying a Delhi-bound flight and triggering probes by the airline and aviation regulator

Passenger Ankit Dewan has alleged that he was physically attacked by an off-duty Air India Express pilot at Delhi airport's Terminal 1, leaving him injured and his seven-year-old daughter traumatised

Increasing incidents of flights experiencing GPS spoofing and jamming is a concern, and pilots need to be more vigilant, according to global airlines' grouping IATA. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) represents around 360 airlines that account for over 80 per cent of the global air traffic. Air India, IndiGo, Air India Express and SpiceJet are also part of the grouping. In recent times, there have also been instances of GPS spoofing and interference incidents at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai airports. During interactions this week in Geneva, IATA officials said rising incidents of GPS interference incidents are a concern. IATA Director General Willie Walsh said incidents of GPS spoofing and jamming require pilots to be more vigilant in terms of operation, because the increase has been very significant. "It exists right across the world now". Global Positioning System (GPS)/ Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing a

A union for loco pilots has demanded norms similar to those for airline pilots, including capping duty hours at six hours for passenger trains and eight hours for goods trains

The new regulations, first proposed in early 2024, were implemented in two phases this year, with the latest implementation date of November 1

Despite growing stress and burnout, many pilots avoid reporting mental-health concerns due to lengthy medical reviews and career repercussions

The new rules were released after DGCA met with airlines and pilot associations in New Delhi to discuss duty hours and rest hours

The country's largest airline IndiGo aims to implement evidence-based training programmes for its pilots, as part of its continuing efforts to enhance their competencies, including improved situational awareness, according to a senior official. IndiGo, which operates over 2,300 flights daily, is expanding its fleet by adding wide-body planes and currently has more than 5,300 pilots. Currently, Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) is implemented at the airline. "When you become CBTA-compliant, you eventually end up, once you mature, you become EBT-compliant," the senior airline official told PTI. EBT refers to Evidence-Based Training. "So right now, we are just baselining the CBTA. Now, with all the data we are going to use, and with the help of the world's best practices...or having consultants on board, we need to see how we can eventually reach the EBT stage," the official said. Various skills, enhanced situational awareness, decision-making, and corporate resource .

Earlier this year, DGCA, in its affidavit before the Delhi High Court, said new FDTL norms will be implemented in a phased manner

The aviation regulator issued the clarification after pilots' body ALPA India urged it to withdraw the relaxation, arguing that the move could lead to fatigue-induced errors

Federation of Indian Pilots warns of contempt plea after DGCA relaxes night duty limits under new flight duty time norms despite High Court directions

Aviation regulator DGCA has decided to empanel private aeromedical evaluation centres for conducting civil aviation medical tests, with the pilots' grouping ALPA India saying the move will streamline pilot medicals, ensure higher efficiency and greater compliance with international norms. Welcoming the decision, the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) said it marks the end of routine civil aviation medicals being conducted at Indian Air Force (IAF) centres. "The move, long advocated by ALPA India, represents a major milestone in the separation of military and civil medical evaluation frameworks, bringing India in line with global aviation best practices. The association had consistently raised concerns about the logistical inconvenience, lack of standardisation, and non-transparent procedures in Air Force medical evaluation," ALPA India said in a release. According to the release, the earlier requirement of undergoing every fifth medical at IAF centres often resulted i

A granular look at the ranking criteria the DGCA has applied is concerning.