Air India allowed to temporarily extend duty and rest for long-haul crew, memo shows
Air India allowed to temporarily extend duty and rest for long-haul crew, memo shows | تازہ ترین پاکستان کی خبریں
Air India allowed to temporarily extend duty and rest for long-haul crew, memo shows — India’s aviation regulator has allowed Air India to temporarily extend the maximum duty hours and rest period for pilots on long-haul routes to allow ...
India’s aviation regulator has allowed Air India to temporarily extend the maximum duty hours and rest period for pilots on long-haul routes to allow the airline to tackle Pakistan’sairspace ban, according to an internal memo.
The exemption is for about two weeks beginning April 30 and is applicable for Airbus and Boeing long-haul jets, according to the memo, and is meant to cover flights to destinations in the US.
The exemption has been put in place while a permanent solution is being worked out, a source familiar with the matter toldReuters.
The exemption increases the maximum flight duty period — typically the time between reporting for duty and the end of flight-related activities — for pilots and cabin crew, the memo showed.
Air India and India’s civil aviation ministry, which houses the regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), could not be immediately reached for comment.
Indian airlines are bracing for higher fuel costs and longer journey times after
Pakistan shut its airspace to the country’s carriers astensionsbetween the nuclear-armed neighbours flared following anattackon tourists in India-held Kashmir last week.
Reutersreported on Thursday that Air India expects to face around $600 million in additional costs if the ban from Pakistan’s airspace lasts for a year, and has asked the federal government to compensate it for the hit.
The maximum pilot flight duty period for a flight of up to 12 hours is now 16 hours compared with the previous 14 hours, while for flights above 14 hours, the duty period has risen to 24 hours instead of 22 hours, according to the memo sent to pilots and seen byReuters.
Extra rest periods of four hours and 12 hours over present limits have also been planned for crew at layovers and the home base, respectively.
The memo, which was earlier reported by theEconomic Timesnewspaper, has stoked concerns among pilots about increased workloads at a time air travel in India is booming, with one Air India pilot tellingReutersthe measures were “extreme”.
The DGCA is holding regular conversations with airlines to ensure pilots and cabin crew are not overburdened, the source familiar with the issue said. The pilot and the source declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.