DGCA asks airlines to fix work hours for maintenance staff

NEW DELHI: Concerned over work pressure of aircraft maintenance personnel ( AMP) occasionally taking a toll on safety, aviation regulator DGCA has asked all airlines to formulate duty time limitations for this workforce in line with pilots and cabin crew.

The DGCA, in a latest airworthiness circular, has asked all airline companies to frame policy for AMP duty time limitations and giving them adequate rest period like pilots and cabin crew, official sources said.

Recommending a maximum of eight hours duty with breaks keeping in view logistic and other constraints, the regulator has made it clear that no scheduled shift should exceed 12 hours and asked the airlines to "scrupulously adhere" to these duty time limitations.

Observing that the maintenance personnel should get adequate rest between two shifts, the sources said the risk became more prominent when night shifts were in tandem.

"Therefore, the number of continuous night shift should not exceed more than two and should be followed by at least two successive days rest period," they said.

Wherever work allocations involved multiple aircraft or engines in a shift, the circular said due consideration should be given to the complexity or criticality of the task and quantum of work.