IndiGo opposed DGCA’s proposal to reduce night flying for pilots

IndiGo has rejected the DGCA’s suggestion to extend the definition of night flights by one hour from midnight to 5 am to include flights up to 6 am. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soni

In a letter to the DGCA, IndiGo has opposed the regulator’s proposal to reduce night flights for pilots on the grounds that increased night flights during aggressive international expansion would have “severe operational implications” despite complaints of increased fatigue. Airlines.

In a letter sent to the DGCA by IndiGo’s Chief Operating Officer, Isidro Porecruras on December 4, the airline said the DGCA extended the definition of night flight by one hour from midnight to 5 am to include flights up to 6 am. The suggestion is rejected. Hindu A copy of this letter has been reviewed.

Also Read: Why DGCA is adamant on new rest rules for pilots? | explained

“We propose to retain the current definition of night flight,” the official wrote.

Expanding the definition of night flying would essentially reduce night flying for pilots because airlines are not allowed to assign night flying duties more than twice in a week.

The new definition was part of revised rules governing rest and duty hours for pilots notified by the regulator in January 2024, which would have come into effect on June 1. But it was halted on March 26 after strong protests from airlines that demanded more time. The new standards will increase their requirements for pilots by “10% to 20%” and increase air fares due to reduced aircraft use. Later, the DGCA asked the airlines to indicate a timeline for implementation of the new rules that they are comfortable with.

Regarding the issue of night flying, the airlines have said that the proposal to limit the number of night flying landings to only two can be implemented only after October 2026. 5 o’clock period. This means that if a flight starts or ends at any time between this window, say 2 or 3 am, IndiGo will schedule additional landings.

In another major change brought by the regulator to increase the weekly rest from the current 36 hours to 48 hours, airlines have mentioned that it can be implemented in a staggered manner from June 2025 and beyond June 2026. June increased to 40 hours from 2025, after which it will assess the impact of this change, “to potentially increase the weekly rest period after June. 2026.”

There is also a writ petition in the matter in the Delhi High Court where Air India and three pilot bodies are parties. In this regard, the DGCA on Wednesday held a court-ordered arbitration round between the two parties and Air India is learned to have informed the regulator that it may implement the rule from July 1, while pilot bodies have demanded immediate implementation. . The next meeting will be scheduled next month before the next January 23 hearing date.