India’s leading airlines have approached the government seeking changes to the proposed cabin crew fatigue management rules, cautioning that the new norms could disrupt flight schedules, increase operational costs, and impact long-term growth.
TheFederation of Indian Airlines (FIA)— which represents IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet — has written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requesting a review of certain draft provisions introduced in October. According to reports, the industry body believes that some of the proposed measures go beyond global standards and could create logistical challenges.
The draft regulations aim to strengthen aviation safety by addressing fatigue among cabin crew members. Key proposals include:
Increasing the minimum weekly rest period from36 hours to 48 hours
Expanding work limits for night operations
Making it mandatory for each cabin crew member to have aseparate hotel room during layovers
While single-room accommodation is common among several international airlines, it is not mandated by global aviation standards. Indian airlines argue that enforcing this rule could significantly raise costs and create accommodation challenges, particularly at airports with limited hotel infrastructure. They warn this may force crews to stay far from airports, affecting scheduling efficiency.
The fatigue rules come amid heightened scrutiny of aviation safety following last year’sAir India flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people. Although investigations reportedly suggest the crash was not caused by a technical defect, safety and crew fatigue have remained key areas of focus.
The draft rules state that their primary objective is to enhance operational safety. However, airlines maintain that the combined impact of stricter rest norms, revised night landing caps, and updated ultra-long-haul classifications could complicate crew rostering and reduce predictability.
The Federation has argued that certain classifications in the draft differ from global practice. For instance, the proposal defines ultra-long-haul flights as those exceeding14 hours, whereas global norms often consider flights above16 hoursunder this category.
Airlines have requested:
Alignment of night landing caps with fatigue science
Relaxation of certain provisions
A phased implementation approach
The discussions come at a sensitive time for Indian aviation. Air India is grappling with financial strain due to an airspace ban by Pakistan and the aftermath of the crash. IndiGo recently faced regulatory scrutiny after cancelling around 4,500 flights in December due to planning issues linked to pilot fatigue norms.
Meanwhile, the government has reiterated its focus on strengthening aviation safety and regulatory oversight. There is currently no fixed timeline for implementing the new cabin crew fatigue rules.
As consultations continue, regulators will need to balance airline operational concerns with the broader objective of improving passenger safety and crew well-being in India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector.
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