DGCA revises duty norms for pilots, allows more rest (GS Paper 3, Infrastructure)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has made significant changes in the regulations pertaining to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for flight crew, in line with the international best practices.
- These regulations have been instrumental in managing fatigue related aviation safety risks for more than a decade now.
Key Highlights:
Extended Weekly Rest Periods for flight crew:
- The revised regulations mandate increased weekly rest periods from 36 hours to 48 hours for flight crew, thus ensuring sufficient time for recovery from cumulative fatigue.
Night Duty:
- The definition of night has been amended which now covers the period of 0000-0600 hours in the revised regulations vis-à-vis the period of 0000-0500 hours under the previous regulations.
- This enhancement of one hour during early morning will ensure adequate rest and also align the night duty period which encompasses Window of Circadian Low (WOCL) from 0200-0600 hours i.e. the time during which the circadian body clock cycle is at its lowest in terms of alertness.
Maximum Flight Time, Maximum Flight Duty Periods and Number of Landings during night:
- The revised regulations have taken into consideration different types of operations across time zones.
- The maximum flight time & maximum flight duty period for flight operations encroaching night have been restricted to 8 hours flight time &10 hours flight duty period respectively and the number of landings have been limited to only two landings as compared to maximum permissible 6 landings under previous regulations during night operations, thus enhancing flight safety.
- In addition, DGCA has mandated that all airline operators shall submit quarterly fatigue reports after analysis, including the Action Taken on such reports. Further, it has been stipulated that the fatigue reports shall follow a non-punitive and confidentiality policy.
FRMS:
- DGCA further envisages to the adoption of a new regime of fatigue management i.e. Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) going forward.
- The revised FDTL regulation is a stepping stone towards FRMS implementation in India. FRMS is a data-driven approach to enhance monitoring and reporting of flight crew fatigue.
- The collaboration of various aviation stakeholders such as regulator, airline operators, flight crew etc. will be required to implement stringent monitoring, record keeping and reporting to ensure adherence to a FRMS regime in future once the readiness to transition to the FRMS framework has been diligently demonstrated by all stakeholders.
Implementation:
- The revised FDTL regulations are effective forthwith and the airline operators are required to comply with the revised regulations latest by 1st June, 2024.
- This will ensure sufficient time for the airline operators to adapt to the changes while taking into account the logistics, system changes and consequential arrangements arising out of the amendments in revised FDTL regulations.
Way Forward:
- With the implementation of the revised FDTL regulations, the aviation sector aspires for safer skies.
UAE to help NASA in developing Gateway space station
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- NASA and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have unveiled plans to deepen their space exploration partnership.
- The UAE is set to contribute a critical piece of infrastructure, an airlock module, to the Artemis Lunar Gateway, humanity's first lunar-orbiting space station.
Artemis Lunar Gateway:
- The Artemis program, underpinned by the Artemis Accords aims to return humans to the Moon, landing the first woman and the first person of colour on its surface.
- The Artemis Lunar Gateway is designed to be a pivotal outpost for long-term lunar exploration and research, providing a habitat for astronauts and serving as a staging point for missions to the Moon's surface.
- This collaboration marks a significant step in international space cooperation, with the UAE joining forces with other key partners such as the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Key Highlights:
- Under the new agreement, MBRSC will supply the Crew and Science Airlock module for the Gateway, which will facilitate the transfer of crew and scientific research between the station's pressurized environment and the vacuum of space.
- This capability is essential for conducting groundbreaking science in deep space and preparing for potential future missions to Mars.
- The UAE's involvement extends beyond hardware provision; it includes sending a UAE astronaut to the Gateway on a future Artemis mission and offering engineering support throughout the station's operational life.
What it holds for UAE?
- This collaboration builds upon the UAE's growing contributions to space exploration, including sending the first Emirati astronaut, Hazzaa Almansoori, to the International Space Station in 2019, followed by Sultan Al Neyadi in 2023.
- Additionally, two more Emirati astronaut candidates are currently training at Nasa's Johnson Space Center.
