The pilot of an Air India Jaipur international flight refused to fly the aircraft after completing his mission.
What happens if a pilot refuses to fly the plane mid-flight? A similar shocking incident occurred on an international Air India flight, where the pilot refused to move the plane forward, saying his duty hours were over. The flight was originally scheduled to fly from Paris to Delhi, but due to weather conditions, it was diverted to Jaipur for a while, and the pilots disembarked after landing.
The incident at Jaipur International Airport left all 180 passengers on board shocked. Passengers talked about it and the matter was eventually resolved. However, this incident once again raised the question, can the pilot do this? Was it his fault that he missed the flight? What are the rules, let’s find out.
What’s going on?
Air India flight AI-2022 took off from Paris at 10 pm on Sunday. The flight was scheduled to land in Delhi at 10.35am on Monday but could not make it due to weather conditions. ATC diverted the flight to Jaipur for some time and the flight landed at 12:10 pm. The pilot waited for some time for clearance and when it was not received, the pilot quoted the Timor-Leste Defense Force as saying that his duty time had ended and he could not continue flying.
What is FDTL and empowers pilots
Pilots are assigned separate duty hours during the flight, which is called FDTL, or Flight Duty Time Limitation. These rules are in place to prevent pilots from flying aircraft when fatigued, as doing so could jeopardize the safety of passengers. In this case, if the pilot becomes tired, he can even leave the aircraft before the mission is over. There is a risk of accidents when flying an airplane while fatigued. FDTL rules are valid globally and the responsibility for enforcing these rules rests with the concerned country. In India, these rules are overseen by the DGCS (i.e. Directorate General of Civil Aviation).
What are the rules for FDTL?
All airlines are required to adhere to flight duty time limits and if they fail to do so, action can also be taken against the airline. Under this regulation, crew members can fly up to 35 hours per week and 125 hours per month and per year. I can only fly A thousand hours. The crew has regulations that require at least 10 hours of rest within 24 hours. If the flight distance is long, the pilot will also be arranged to rest midway.
Exceptions may be made under special circumstances
If a flight is unable to land on time due to bad weather, airlines can exempt crew members from FDTL rules for a period of time, but it depends on the pilot’s willingness to fly the plane. According to the rules, no pressure can be put on the pilot.
The roster is prepared before the flight takes off
Airlines and cabin crew must prepare a list at least seven days before the flight, which also provides a report on the duration of the flight and how rested it will be, how tired the crew is and how long it will take. Ready, indicating that the flight has taken off. The Civil Aviation Administration of China can request the crew roster from any airline at any time for free. Pilots and crew are responsible for adhering to F-FDTL rules during the flight.
