A 28-year-old Air India Express pilot who recently got married, died of cardiac arrest.
A 28-year-old Air India Express pilot who recently got married, died of cardiac arrest.
“We deeply regret the loss of a valued colleague due to a medical condition. Our thoughts are with the family during this time of profound grief. We are extending all possible assistance to them as we all cope with this tremendous loss,” an Air India Express spokesperson said in a statement.
“We request all concerned to respect privacy at this time and avoid unnecessary speculation while we commit to assisting the relevant authorities in due process,” the spokesperson added.
DGCA’s roadmap: More rest for pilots
In February, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had proposed a phased roadmap to introduce stricter limits on when and how long pilots can fly to minimise fatigue among air crew in a submission to Delhi high court.
According to an HT report, the roadmap proposed increasing pilots’ weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours starting July 1, 2025, and phasing in reduced night flying from November 1, 2025.
The Delhi high court on February 24 directed the DGCA to strictly adhere to its timeline on implementing the revised norms on duty and rest hours for pilots in a phased manner starting July 1.
Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju was informed by the counsel for the DGCA that they had filed an affidavit stating of the 22 modified clauses of the civil aviation requirement (CAR), 15 would be rolled out from July 1, 2025 and the remaining would put in place by November 1.
The counsel for petitioner pilots associations urged the court to pass directions that the timelines set out by the respondents in the affidavit should be strictly adhered to.
To this, the counsel for the DGCA said, “We have already filed the affidavit and we are bound by the affidavit. The court may consider disposing of the writ petitions as nothing survives in the pleas now.”
The article originally appeared on Hindustan Times
