DGCA Imposes Fine for FDTL Violations
On Friday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) imposed a fine of Rs 80 lakh on Air India for breaching regulations related to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and fatigue management system (FMS) for flight crew, as stated by the aviation authority. This action came after the DGCA conducted a spot audit of Air India Limited in January to assess adherence to regulations. During the audit, the DGCA reviewed random reports from different fleets.
As per the DGCA, there is evidence indicating that the airline conducted flights with both flight crew members aged above 60 years flying together on a few occasions. This contravenes Sub Rule (2) of Rule 28 A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
The regulator also noted deficiencies in the operator’s provision of adequate weekly rest, as well as adequate rest before and after ultra-long range flights, and during layovers for the flight crew, which contravenes existing provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements regarding Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), as stated in a release.
Regulatory Crackdown on Air India
On March 1, the regulatory body issued a show cause notice to Air India regarding this issue. Subsequently, upon reviewing the operator’s response, which was deemed unsatisfactory, a fine of Rs 80,00,000 was imposed. Moreover, the airline was found to have issues such as overlapping duties and inaccurately marked training records.
The operator’s response to the show cause notice was deemed unsatisfactory. Consequently, a fine of ₹80,00,000 has been imposed on the operator, as stated in the release.
On March 16, the aviation regulator made the decision not to extend the deadline of June 1 for the implementation of revised flight duty norms for pilots.
Airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet, and IndiGo, which form the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), were instructed to submit revised schemes by April 15.
In a communication addressed to the FIA, the DGCA emphasized that airlines must take necessary measures to implement the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) CAR from June 1, 2024. Carriers were instructed to ensure that their FDTL schemes align with the revised norms and are submitted for approval by April 15.
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