Air India pilot unions express concern over flight duty, rest period scheme

Air India pilot unions IPG and ICPA on Saturday expressed “deep concern” over the flight duty and rest period scheme adopted by the Tata Group airline, accusing the carrier of deviating from the DGCA-approved norms.
The two unions — Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) and Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) — in a joint communication to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation also alleged that the introduction of a side policy, along with the flight duty time limitation (FDTL) scheme, by Air India seems to “undermine the authority and purpose” of the DGCA approval.
The pilot unions have also sought a review and assessment of the issue by the DGCA, requesting it to take appropriate measures to address the matter.
Pilots and cabin crew’s flight duty time limitations are governed by the aviation safety regulator DGCA, which proposed more rest hours for the pilots last month.
In recent months, the issue of fatigue has been in focus, especially after the death of an IndiGo pilot, wh