The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is likely to issue show cause notice to senior officials and over 100 pilots of GoAir in 1-2 weeks after observing violations of Flight Duty Time Limitation norms, sources close to the development told CNBC-TV18.

The regulator has observed around 50 counts of violations where the pilots exceeded flight duty time, sources said, adding that there have been some cases of pilots being on a higher number of successive night duty than what is prescribed.

"Flight crew shall neither be detailed nor undertake any flight duty between periods embracing 0000 to 0500 hrs local time for more than two consecutive nights except once within a period of 168 hours," as per Civil Aviation Requirement under Section 7 of Flight crew Standards training and licensing.

The regulator is expected to adopt a non-punitive but strict approach to the matter. Violations in FDTL often result in fatigue among pilots and hence regulators worldwide are advised to set strict guidelines on Flight Time, Flight Duty Period, Duty Period and Rest Period Limitations for managing fatigue.

In aviation, fatigue is a physiological state of reduced mental or physical performance capability resulting from sleep loss or extended wakefulness, circadian phase, or workload (mental and/or physical activity) that can impair a crew member’s alertness and ability to safely operate an aircraft or perform safety-related duties.

The violations were noticed by a regular audit conducted by the regulator. GoAir had to cancel several flights in the last month as its crew “approached Flight Duty Time Limits.”

“Due to inclement weather in North India, GoAir experienced extensive flight delays and diversions leading to cancellations of flights as our crew approached its Flight Duty time Limits (FDTL) in the last 2-3 days. This was further exacerbated due to the CAA protests wherein our crew members were unable to report for duty,” the Wadia group-owned airline had said in a statement on Dec 23.

The airline also cited delay in delivery of A320neos in the month of November and December and non-availability of Pratt & Whitney spare engines as reasons for temporary disruption of its operations. GoAir has 144 Airbus A320neo on order.

India has two A320neo airlines which use Pratt & Whitney engines, IndiGo and GoAir. While IndiGo is to replace all unmodified PW engines by Jan 31, DGCA has also started inspection of all GoAir A320neo’s Pratt and Whitney (PW) engines which have been used for more than 3,000 hours.

The decision had come after an incident in which an A320neo aircraft of GoAir carrying 132 passengers had to return 10 minutes after take off from Guwahati as its PW engine faced a mid-air snag.

“In view of the recent events, GoAir will abide by and comply with the directives of DGCA and complete the modifications of Pratt & Whitney engines before 31st January 2020,” GoAir spokesperson had said in Dec 26 statement.

In view of a growing aviation market, shortage of pilots, largely commanders, has often been regarded as a challenge being faced by airlines across the world. The 2019 Boeing Pilot & Technician Outlook projects that 804,000 new civil aviation pilots, 769,000 new maintenance technicians, and 914,000 new cabin crew will be needed to fly and maintain the world fleet over the next 20 years. As per the outlook, the demand will stem from a mix of fleet growth, retirements, and attrition.

Pilot fatigue was found to be one of the contributory factors in the Air India Express accident at Mangalore airport in May 2010 that killed 158.

“GoAir has more than an adequate pool of cockpit crew resources to fly 325 daily flights. The airline is currently working to normalize its operations with the support of its pilots and cabin crew and expects to be on track by the end of this week. As a responsible airline, GoAir accords the highest priority to the safety of passengers and lays utmost emphasis on providing a safe environment for its passengers and employees,” the airline had said on Dec 26.

First Published:Jan 6, 2020 6:47 PM IST