Safety limits to flying

Source: The post is based on the article “Safety limits to flying”  published in Indian Express on 26th July 2023

What is the News?

Recently, around 100 passengers were stranded in Rajkot after their Air India flight to Delhi was cancelled. 

The pilot had refused to take off because the permitted duty hours of the crew were over, and operating the flight would have violated the flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms laid down by India’s aviation safety regulator.

What are Flight duty time limitation(FDTL) norms?

Source: Indian Express

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Which airports usually face the problem of Flight duty time limitation(FDTL)?

Smaller airports are usually more susceptible to FDTL-related disruptions because they are unlikely to have standby crew, and it is difficult to mobilize them at short notice. 

What are the challenges Indian air carriers are expected to face in the coming years?

Shortage of Pilots: Given the volume of traffic, India does not see many FDTL-related disruptions currently.

But this could change in the coming years as Indian carriers expand their fleet and networks and a steady supply of additional pilots is required. 

This could put pressure on the existing pool of pilots. In the worst case, airlines could face a major impediment to their growth plans even as demand surges.

For instance, India currently is estimated to have around 9,000 pilots for a fleet of some 700 aircraft currently. 

Almost 2,000 additional pilots may be needed every year over the next few years to keep up with the expected pace of fleet expansion. This is more than double the number of commercial pilot licenses that the DGCA currently issues annually.

Moreover, the most acute shortage is expected to be of the experienced pilots or captains who lead the crew and are in charge of the flight. It takes a few years for a pilot to be promoted as captain and it is estimated that the existing Indian airline ecosystem produces fewer than 200 captains a year