Airlines must avoid getting grounded by pilot burnout

Last month, India's aviation industry mourned the death of a 36-year-old commander of Air India Express who passed away from a cardiac arrest shortly after his flight landed in Delhi.

- Anjuli Bhargava

Last month, India's aviation industry mourned the death of a 36-year-old commander of Air India Express who passed away from a cardiac arrest shortly after his flight landed in Delhi. Social media erupted with allegations that the pilot was overworked, and many were quick to blame the airline and its work culture. Air India Express defended itself saying that the roster of the pilot was anything but demanding. In fact, on average, the airline's pilots were averaging around half the duty limit timings. The pilot's death was, in all likelihood, unconnected to work pressure, the airline argued.

There has been growing concern in India over reports of young people dying on account of heart failures post the 2020 pandemic, unrelated to genetic or any other clearly discernible causes. The pilot in Air India Express instance could well be one of these. It remains a matter that needs deeper research.

The bigger worry for the aviation sector is that the cause for this and for previous deaths in the pilot community could be chalked up to 'cumulative fatigue', a sort of insidious burnout over a sustained period of time that results in loss of life.

Well before the pandemic, in 2018, I had detailed conversations with some pilots of low-fare airlines to understand what their daily work entailed and found the picture was pretty grim. Pilots were struggling with burnout and monotony as airlines tried to cope with growing demands without adding to their payroll headcounts. A low-fare airline commander and crew's life in India was certainly not one to be envied.