DGCA to meet operators, pilots bodies over crew duty, rest norms next week

Mumbai: Aviation safety regulator DGCA has convened a meeting with airline operators and pilots’ bodies in New Delhi next week to discuss various issues related to the cockpit crew’s duty and rest norms following the regulator making certain relaxations, including allowing more night landings and duty time extension for two-pilot Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operations.

The latest flight duty time limitation norms, which entail increased weekly rest periods to 48 hours, extension of night hours, and limiting the number of night landings to only two as against six earlier, were initially opposed by the domestic airlines, including IndiGo and Air India.

But they were subsequently rolled out by the DGCA following the Delhi High Court’s directives, albeit after a delay of over one year an