DGCA may review framework for pilot fitness, other aspects

New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA is likely to review the framework in place for pilot fitness aspects and response system at airports in case of medical emergencies, according to a senior official.

The plan also comes against the backdrop of the death of an Air India Express pilot due to a medical condition in the national capital earlier this month soon after operating a flight from Srinagar.

The pilot operated the flight from Srinagar to Delhi and was not feeling well after landing at the Delhi airport. He was taken to a hospital where he died, a source had said.

The senior official on Wednesday said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is likely to review the framework to assess pilot fitness, medical emergency response system at airports and other related aspects.

The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in this regard are likely to be reviewed by the watchdog.

Specific details could not be immediately ascertained.

Last week, the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) said there is an urgent need to put in place transparent regulations that prioritise rest for pilots, safety and humane scheduling practices.

ALPA, which claims to represent around 800 pilots of various domestic airlines, is part of the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Association (IFALPA).

The association had also said the untimely death of the Air India Express pilot raises troubling questions about pilot welfare, mental health, and working conditions in the Indian aviation industry.

Further, the grouping had stressed the need for having comprehensive mental health support systems within airline organisations and not merely as checkboxes but as active, accessible, and stigma-free services.

Meanwhile, airlines are set to implement the revised norms on duty and rest hours for pilots in a phased manner starting July 1 that will provide more rest hours for pilots.