Long flying hours, roster instability among top causes of pilot fatigue, says study

According to a recent survey by a non-governmental organization, pilot fatigue is mainly attributed to factors such as extended flying hours exceeding 10 hours per day, consecutive night shifts, rapidly changing weekly schedules that disturb circadian rhythms, and schedules that adhere strictly to the minimum required rest periods, reported TOI.

The survey, published by the Safety Matters Foundation, included responses from 530 airline pilots in India, primarily captains flying domestic and international routes of under six hours. It revealed that around 70 percent of pilots felt that flight duty periods exceeding 10 hours significantly contribute to fatigue. Currently, Indian regulations permit airlines to schedule pilots for up to 13 hours of flight duty within a 24-hour period.

The issue of extended duty hours is further aggravated by frequent "tail swaps," cited by 63 percent of pilots as a major fatigue factor. In airline terminology, tail swaps involve changing aircraft which requires the crew to disembark, go through the terminal, and complete security screening before boarding a different plane. This process, combined with long flight duties, minimal rest periods, and multiple landings, can exacerbate fatigue, according to the survey and TOI report.

“The survey findings and recommendations were submitted to the DGCA last week,” said Captain Amit Singh of Safety Matters Foundation.

In addition to answering survey questions, 177 pilots provided comments that highlighted the challenges of work-life balance for pilots in India. Roster instability emerged as a major concern. Among other complaints were long layovers, with pilots often returning home for only one day after working layover flights for 6-7 days, making the base station increasingly irrelevant.

Another pilot in the study noted a rise in landing and take-off errors due to fatigue, along with issues of denied leave.

Captain Singh observed that the number of Indian pilots declared temporarily or permanently medically unfit has increased in recent years, with fatigue being a significant factor contributing to cardiac issues. The issue had been underscored in August of the previous year when a 40-year-old IndiGo pilot suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in the security hold area of Nagpur airport, minutes before his scheduled flight to Pune.

This incident highlighted the urgent need to address fatigue-related problems among airline pilots and led regulators to review the norms for maximum permissible duty periods and minimum rest requirements. In January, the DGCA introduced revised regulations with a strict implementation deadline of June 1. However, in March, following airline appeals, the DGCA withdrew the deadline.