NEW DELHI: Due to the need to reroute flights on account of the closed Pakistani airspace, the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has permitted the extension of the Flight Duty Period (FDP) by one hour on select Boeing 787 flights from Sunday (October 26).
The move has invited criticism from a leading pilot body, which has demanded immediate withdrawal of the order.
The FDP has been extended to 14 hours from the existing 13 hours on eight Dreamliner flights, which operate with two crew members.
FDP is the time during which a flight crew member is on duty for the purpose of operating an aircraft. It starts when the crew is required to report for flight duty and ends when the aircraft comes to rest at the end of the final flight and the engines are shut down.
The regulator has also extended the Flight Time by 30 minutes, from 10 hours to 10.30 hours. “The exemptions will be valid from October 26, 2025, upto March 31, 2026,“ the DGCA said.
Air India is the only airline that presently operates the Boeing 787 model. This is the same model involved in the horrific Ahmedabad crash on June 12 this year. The order also adds that the crew must be provided an additional one hour rest at the layover station.
The regulator states, “The exemption is to prevent passenger inconvenience, flight disruptions and downstream roster irregularities.”
It has also been stated that no flight training must be permitted in this sector. Airlines can implement this extension in specific flights on the international sector – Delhi to Copenhagen, Delhi to Milan, Delhi to France (two flights), Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, London Gatwick to Amritsar, Delhi to Zurich and Birmingham to Amritsar
The Airline Pilot Association of India has strongly condemned the move, stating that it poses a fatigue risk and thereby endangers passenger and flight safety. “The existing 10-hour limit is already on the upper threshold of safe fatigue management,” it pointed out.
This Boeing model does not permit reclining of the seat either, the association added. “This reduces the effectiveness of in-flight rest, particularly during long sectors.”
“The regulatory decision appears not only unjustified but also dangerously inconsistent with global safety practices. Extending duty hours instead of mandating an augmented crew, particularly so soon after a recent fatal accident, raises serious questions about the prioritisation of flight safety over operational costs and convenience,” they charged.
Airlines worldwide have responded to the restriction by providing additional operating crew to mitigate the increased fatigue risk, the association pointed out.