Safety of flying public gravely compromised, says pilots' association

The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (APAI) has expressed its ‘profound concern and deep disappointment' with the selective dispensations granted to IndiGo Airlines in respect of the implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations Civil Aviation Requirement (FDTL CAR (Phase II).

- FPJ News Service

In a strongly-worded letter to the director-general of civil aviation, the association said, “This decision, taken despite repeated representations, formal letters and direct discussions with your esteemed office, has undermined the very spirit of the FDTL regulations and gravely compromised the safety of the flying public.” The association is a member of International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA).Capt Sam Thomas, director of IFALPA, stated, “During our meeting on November 24, it was unequivocally agreed that no dispensation, exemption or variation, particularly those motivated by commercial interests, would be granted to any operator. The consensus was clear: FDTL norms exist solely to safeguard human life and any dilution of these limits would expose pilots, passengers and aircraft to unacceptable risks.

“Yet, in complete contradiction to this understanding, your office has extended selective dispensation to IndiGo for Phase II implementation, allowing them to operate beyond the safety envelope prescribed by the CAR. On the pretext of passenger inconvenience, IndiGo is seeking relief despite having knowingly increased their winter operations while being fully aware of the Phase II implementation of the FDTL CAR.