Global pilots warn India’s rest rule exemption for IndiGo raises safety concerns

NEW DELHI: India’s decision to ease stricter rules on pilot rest following a wave of flight cancellations by the country’s largest carrier should be reversed due to the adverse effect of fatigue on safety, the head of global pilot union group IFALPA said.

IndiGo, which controls about 65% of India’s domestic aviation market, has said it failed to plan adequately for a November 1 deadline to implement stricter rules on night flying and weekly rest for pilots.

The poor planning resulted in at least 2,000 flight cancellations this month, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded, upending vacation plans and weddings, and sparking growing fury about lost luggage.

India’s aviation regulator on Friday granted IndiGo a one-time exemption from new pilot night-duty rules and withdrew a rule that stopped airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest.

Captain Ron Hay, president of the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), said India’s decision to grant the exemption to the rest rules was concerning because it was not based on scientific evidence.

“We are informed that the change is due to staffing issues,” he told Reuters on Monday. “This is troubling as fatigue clearly affects safety.”