Pilots Urge DGCA To Reverse Boeing 787 Duty Extension
India’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the flight duty limits for two-pilot operations on the Boeing 787, prompting the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) to formally request a rollback. Under the new rule, the flight duty time limitation (FDTL) has been raised from 10 hours to 10.5 hours and the total flight duty period (FDP) from 13 hours to 14 hours.
Safety Concerns Raised
ALPA warns that the additional duty hours could increase pilot fatigue, especially on long-haul routes, and argue that global safety practices favour augmented crew arrangements instead of longer duty for fewer pilots. The association has flagged that this change comes soon after major operational scrutiny of Boeing 787 operations in India.
Regulatory & Industry Impact
While the DGCA defends the change as aligned with operational demands and aircraft capabilities, ALPA insists that safety should remain the priority. The disagreement places focus on whether India’s pilot-duty regulations should mirror global benchmarks, particularly for wide-body, long-haul aircraft. Airlines operating the Boeing 787 will need to adapt crew rostering accordingly, and monitoring fatigue risk might become a key aspect of regulatory oversight.
