Navigating Pilot Fatigue: Regulatory Review and Industry Challenges

Transport regulators in Canada and India are re-evaluating rules around pilot working hours due to industry concerns and operational disruptions. Canada's Transport Canada and India's aviation authority are dealing with regulation complexities, exemptions, and safety standards to address these issues. The global context includes past opposition in the US over similar regulations.

The issue of pilot fatigue is under scrutiny as transport regulators in Canada and India reconsider their aviation rules. Both countries are responding to industry concerns about the complexity and practicality of existing frameworks.

In India, aviation authorities allowed IndiGo, the largest carrier, an exemption from new pilot night-duty rules after facing criticism over flight cancellations attributed to poor scheduling. Meanwhile, Canada's Transport Canada has been reviewing its pilot regulations in consultation with industry stakeholders, facing concerns over potential exemptions that could allow extended duty periods for aviators.

These moves are part of a broader trend as aviation authorities globally wrestle with balancing safety and operational demands. The United States saw similar contention in 2011 when new pilot fatigue rules were introduced, prompting debate over economic impacts and job losses in the industry.

(With inputs from agencies.)