Aviation safety has become a hotter topic nationwide because of the announcement that Gaurav Taneja is ready to operate a free flight for IndiGo in case the airline follows the revised guidelines. In a public post, he made it clear that he would be a volunteer only if the new fatigue-control regulations were strictly observed, with safety as his primary concern, at a time when thousands of people have been affected by the cancellation of IndiGo flights. Former commercial pilot and YouTuber Gaurav Taneja has offered to fly for free for IndiGo as the airline suffers from severe operational disruptions caused by the recently introduced Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). Gaurav Taneja puts his own safety in front of everyone and says that he will fly for free for IndiGo only if the airline strictly follows the new fatigue management norms.
The management mess of the flight took place shortly after the imposition of more stringent FDTL regulations that were aimed at fighting pilot fatigue by cutting down night duty hours and requiring longer rest periods. Due to changes in rules, it revealed the airline's scheduling weaknesses, which led to a chain of flight cancellations, passengers lining up at airports to check in, and many being inconvenienced. Investigating and supervising the situation, the authorities that regulate the air transport sector, e.g. the DGCA, have reacted to the issue of staff shortages and airlines' lack of readiness with a flurry of activities.
Taneja’s proposition quickly became very popular online. As one of the former pilots who was generally known for uncovering safety issues and, in this case, was negatively affected by pollution, his move brought back the discussions of how airlines use crew members for the sake of efficiency. His statement went on to say that safety should be the priority at all times, even when a busier-than-usual period is happening.
Experts from the aviation sector stated that the situation is a manifestation of the Indian aviation industry's deep-rooted problems that have been the source of explosive growth strategies in the domestic market, but without enough pilots to fill the new positions. Although the FDTL system has been greeted with a lot of enthusiasm as a safety measure, it requires a great deal of change in rostering methods, and some airlines, especially the largest by market share in India, have found it difficult to make the transition smoothly.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.