The impact of the ongoing war in the Middle East is now visible on the Indian aviation sector as well. According to sources, Air India has asked the Indian aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to give some relaxation in the rules related to pilots’ duty and flight time. The airline has demanded changes in the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules, saying that flight time on some international routes has increased. The reason for this has been said to be the closure of the airspace of Iran and Iraq, due to which the planes have to fly through long alternative routes.
Air India has requested DGCA to allow flights to continue with two pilots on certain sectors and temporarily increase the flight time limit. The airline has proposed that the maximum flying duration of pilots should be increased from the current 10 hours to 11 hours 30 minutes, that is, an additional leeway of about one and a half hours should be given. Along with this, there has been a demand to increase the Flight Duty Period (FDP) from the current 13 hours to 14 hours 45 minutes, which is approximately 1 hour 45 minutes more.
Air India statement
Air India says that due to not being able to fly over Iran and Iraq, many international flights are having to take longer routes. Due to this, the total travel time has increased significantly compared to before and it is becoming difficult to operate flights under the current FDTL rules. Aviation experts say that airlines may need to make such operational changes until the situation in West Asia becomes normal. DGCA can now take a decision on this proposal of Air India keeping in mind the aspects related to security and operations.