Pilot bodies have rejected the regulator’s new airline-driven, data-based crew fatigue system, accusing it of bypassing court-mandated duty hours and compromising safety, setting the stage for another clash.
The comments are part of replies submitted before the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after its September 3 e-mail to airlines and pilot unions seeking their responses to a draft advisory on implementation of Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS), which is a data-based approach that monitors and manages fatigue-related safety risks to ensure adequate alertness among crew. Each airline develops and monitors its own FRMS.
