In a major reform in the civil aviation sector, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has implemented new regulations for watch duty time limitations and rest requirements for air traffic controllers (ATCOs) at 57 airports across the country. The move is aimed at ensuring safer skies over Indian airspace and safe, orderly, and efficient operations at Indian aerodromes.
What are the new norms?
The new norms, which came into effect on Thursday, September 21, 2023, are based on the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations and the country’s national, social, and cultural contexts, coupled with scientifically valid, optimal duty time limit for ATCOs.
According to the DGCA, the duty period of an ATCO cannot exceed 12 hours. A controller can only be assigned the duty of no more than 48 hours within seven days, or not exceeding 180 hours in 30 days. The minimum rest period between two consecutive duties should be at least 12 hours, except for airports having split watch hours and the interval between watch hours is five hours or more.
The DGCA has also prescribed the maximum number of consecutive night duties that an ATCO can perform. For example, an ATCO can perform up to four consecutive night duties if the duty period is eight hours or less, and up to three consecutive night duties if the duty period is more than eight hours but less than 10 hours.
The DGCA has also specified the minimum number of days off that an ATCO should get in a month. For example, an ATCO should get at least eight days off in a month if the average duty period per day is eight hours or less, and at least nine days off in a month if the average duty period per day is more than eight hours but less than 10 hours.
Why are the new norms important?
The new norms are important because they will provide adequate rest to ATCOs while engaging in the provision of air traffic services, which is a highly demanding and stressful job. ATCOs are responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient movement of aircraft in the airspace and on the ground. They have to constantly monitor multiple screens, communicate with pilots and other controllers, and make quick decisions in complex situations.
Lack of adequate rest can impair the performance of ATCOs and increase the risk of human errors, fatigue, stress, and health problems. This can have serious consequences for flight safety and operational efficiency. According to a study by ICAO, fatigue is one of the most common factors contributing to ATC incidents.
The new norms will also bring India in line with the international standards and best practices in air traffic management. The ICAO has issued guidelines on fatigue management for ATCOs as part of its Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) under Annex 11 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The ICAO guidelines provide a framework for states to develop and implement their own regulations on watch duty time limitations and rest requirements for ATCOs.
Which airports are covered by the new norms?
The new norms are being implemented at 57 airports from Thursday, September 21, 2023. These include major airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Guwahati and Jaipur.
They also include smaller airports such as Amritsar, Dehradun, Kishangarh, Shimla, Kanpur, Bhuntar, Gaggal, Pantnagar and Safdarjung in north India; Trichy, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tuticorin, Calicut, Kannur, Kalaburgi, Mysore, Belgaum, Hubli, Vijayawada, Cudappah, Hyd-Begumpet, Tirupati and Rajamundry in south India; Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Nagpur, Indore and Bhopal in central India; Imphal, Agartala, Dimapur, Dibrugarh and Silchar in northeast India; and Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The DGCA has said that the regulations will be implemented at other airports in a phased manner as per the roadmap indicated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is responsible for providing air traffic services in India. The AAI had sought an extension to implement the norms at smaller airports, citing the need for more time to recruit and train ATCOs and upgrade the infrastructure.
The DGCA has also said that it will monitor the implementation of the regulations and conduct periodic audits to ensure compliance. The DGCA has also asked the AAI to establish a fatigue risk management system (FRMS) to identify, assess, and mitigate fatigue-related risks in air traffic services.
The new norms are expected to enhance the safety, efficiency, and reliability of air traffic services in India, which is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. According to the DGCA, India has witnessed a growth of 12.4 percent in domestic passenger traffic and 8.9 percent in international passenger traffic in the last five years. The new norms will also improve the working conditions and well-being of ATCOs, who play a vital role in ensuring smooth air travel for millions of passengers every day.
This post No More Sleepy Skies: DGCA Cracks Down on Air Traffic Controllers’ Duty Hours was originally published at Finance Crave
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