Safer skies: DGCA cracks the whip for fatigue management on airlines

NEW DELHI: The serious issue of pilot fatigue is finally being addressed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Airline schedulers and dispatch staff -- responsible for drawing up pilot rosters -- will now have to be trained in fatigue management to ensure schedules that do allow only well rested pilots to operate flights. Pilots of big Indian carriers have long been complaining about inhumane rosters that has been leading to stress, thereby affecting flight safety.

In a significant move, DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai has mandated airlines must have a "fatigue risk management policy; fatigue reporting system and a system for monitoring flight crew fatigue." Fatigue training will now have to be a regular feature in the "annual ground training" (AGTR) of operators to ensure that all rules related to crew flight time duty limitation are followed both in letter and in spirit."The fatigue training should be conducted by trained staff and include its effect on flight crew and measures to mitigate crew fatigue," the DGCA says.




The training syllabus will have to contain the following:

a) Applicable regulatory requirements for flight, duty and rest.

b) The basics of fatigue including sleep fundamentals and the effects of disturbing the circadian rhythms.

c) The causes of fatigue, including medical conditions that may lead to fatigue.

d) The effect of fatigue on performance.

e) Fatigue countermeasures.

f) The influence of lifestyle, including nutrition, exercise, and family life, on fatigue.

g) Familiarity with sleep disorders and their possible treatmentsm

h) Where applicable, the effects of long range operations and heavy short range schedules on individuals.

i) The effect of operating through and within multiple time zones.

j) The crew member responsibility for ensuring adequate rest and fitness for flight duty.

"The operator shall issue fatigue reporting policy as a circular to all stake holders. Further, operator should constitute an independent Fatigue Review Committee which will analyse and recommend measures to mitigate fatigue," the DGCA has ordered.

Quarterly fatigue reports will need to be submitted to DGCA that will have details like number of crew trained, fatigue reports received and accepted or rejected (with reasons). The fatigue off should be atleast 24 hour period and include one local night.