The Federation of Indian Pilots has written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, pushing for the full implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitation norms, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by NDTV Profit.
In the letter, the FIP has asked for the immediate withdrawal of FDTL dispensations that have been granted to airline operators, arguing that this is necessary in the interest of aviation safety.
FDTL rules govern the maximum hours a pilot can be on duty and in flight, along with mandatory rest periods, and are meant to guard against fatigue-related risks in the cockpit.
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The pilots' body has also called for the implementation of a Fatigue Risk Management System, a data-driven framework that allows airlines to identify and manage fatigue risk among crew members beyond the baseline limits set by FDTL regulations.
To underline the urgency of its demand, the FIP has highlighted that six pilots have died while on duty over the last three years, pointing to this as evidence of the toll that extended flying hours and inadequate rest are taking on aircrew.
Dispensations from FDTL norms have been a recurring flashpoint between pilot bodies and regulators in India, with unions repeatedly flagging that exemptions granted to airlines to ease scheduling pressures come at the cost of crew rest and, by extension, flight safety.
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The FIP's latest letter adds to a series of representations from pilot associations urging the DGCA to tighten enforcement of duty-time limits rather than extend relaxations to operators.
The DGCA had rolled out revised FDTL norms in recent years following extensive consultation with airlines and pilot unions, though implementation timelines have periodically been extended at the industry's request, citing operational constraints.
It is not immediately clear whether MoCA or the DGCA has responded to the FIP's latest letter.
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