Pilots' body ALPA India urges DGCA to withdraw extension of flight duty time for Dreamliner pilots
New Delhi (PTI): Pilots' body ALPA India on Sunday urged aviation watchdog DGCA to withdraw the flight duty time extension for two-pilot Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft operations, saying the decision creates a "scenario ripe for fatigue induced errors".
For the Boeing 787, two-man flight crew operations, the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) has been increased to 10.30 hours from 10 hours and the Flight Duty Period (FDP) to 14.00 hours from 13 hours.
FDP refers to the time duration when a flight crew member is on duty for operating an aircraft and ends when a plane comes to rest at the end of the flight.
Tata Group-owned Air India operates Dreamliners.
In a letter to the regulator, Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) said the whole idea of formulating a Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on FDTL was based on extensive research and scientific study on human fatigue and its operational consequences.
"The present deviation gives the impression that the DGCA is placing greater consideration on operator convenience and commercials rather than prioritising the core objective of flight safety," it said, adding that the move is a matter of grave operational and safety concern.
According to the pilots' body, there is a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directive that restricts reclination of the captain's seat recline function on the Boeing 787 due to safety concerns, and the same has had a severe impact on crew rest quality during flight.
Apart from seeking withdrawal of the decision, ALPA India has asked the regulator to undertake a comprehensive fatigue risk assessment in consultation with flight crew representatives before approving any further deviation from established limits.
The grouping claimed that the regulatory decision appears not only unjustified but also dangerously inconsistent with global safety practices.
"Extending duty hours instead of mandating an augmented crew, particularly so soon after a recent fatal accident, raises serious questions about the prioritisation of flight safety over operational costs and convenience," it said.
On June 12, Air India's Dreamliner crashed soon after taking off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
"Operating long routes with restricted rest capability, compounded by adverse weather and night operations, creates a scenario ripe for fatigue-induced errors," the letter said.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
