NEW DELHI: About three months after these were last revised, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has drafted fresh amendments in the rules for watch hours and duty requirements for air traffic controllers (ATCOs) with several new clauses being added.
The Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) concerning watch duty time limitations (WDTL) and rest requirements for ATCOs engaged in provision of air traffic services had been revised in March 2023. According to the new amendments, for which comments have been sought from stakeholders by July 20, the period of night duty has been revised from the existing 1.30 am–5.29 am to 12.30 am–4.29 am.
Continuing with the existing provision that there must be at least 12 hours between the end of one duty period and the beginning of the next duty, the amendments stipulate that this would not apply to airports having split watch hours, and the interval between watch hours is five hours or more with the total period of watch hours, including breaks, is 12 hours in a day.
The air traffic service (ATS) in-charge of a station will now also be required to carry out a safety risk assessment (SRA), if required, to reduce the minimum interval to up to 36 hours after following consecutive duty periods. Further, the ATS-in-charge shall ensure that ATCOs do not perform non-ATC administration duties during or beyond their duty period, though this clause would not be applicable to ATS in-charge, airport director and watch supervisory officer. As far as night duty is concerned, no more than two consecutive duties for two consecutive days shall be worked, which cover all or part of the period of night duty. The ATS in-charge should minimise the rostering of ATCOs in two consecutive night duties for two consecutive days to the maximum extent practicable. The amendments also call for scientifically accepted work health, safety, security aspect of shift length, operational duty requirements and rest requirements during night duty to be monitored on the basis of Indian social, cultural and demographic contexts and submit the same to the DGCA once in six months.