India has introduced a fatigue risk management system for pilots to help support the continued safe growth of air travel in the country.
The new measures come into effect on 1 June and will ensure that pilots have adequate rest to perform safely, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Mandatory weekly rest periods will be extended to 48h from 36h to give crews time to recover from cumulative fatigue.
The DGCA has also tightened the definitions around night duty, including the number of landings allowed on a given night, which will be reduced to two from six.
Airlines will also need to submit quarterly fatigue reports to the DGCA.
The DGCA says the new fatigue regulations were developed after careful examination of rosters at the country’s airlines.
“These changes — that are very much in line with international best practices — will ensure India has the necessary arsenal, as it prepares to clinch the largest domestic aviation market title in the future,” says civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia in a tweet.
