Sky-High Dispute: DGCA's Flight Duty Limits Under Fire

The Delhi High Court questioned the Federation of Indian Pilots over alleged non-compliance by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation regarding new flight duty time limits. The DGCA, accused of favoring commercial interests over safety, granted temporary exemptions as the phased implementation of revised norms was delayed.

The Delhi High Court has raised concerns after the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) accused the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of not fully adhering to new flight duty time limitations that the court had previously approved.

The court's inquiry followed claims that, despite commitments made in April, the DGCA had allowed airlines such as Air India and SpiceJet to bypass these norms, sparking calls for contempt proceedings.

DGCA defended its actions, emphasizing its authority to grant temporary exemptions, while the court scheduled further hearings in December to scrutinize whether the regulator prioritized commercial interests over aviation safety.

(With inputs from agencies.)