GoAir has received notice from the Aviation regulator DGCA for violations of flight duty time limitation norms.

CNBC-TV18 had exclusively reported on January 6 that the regulator is in the process of sending show cause notice to over 100 pilots and senior officials of GoAir for violation of FDTL regulations.

"GoAir is in receipt of the notice from DGCA, following a routine FDTL audit. The airline is in contact with the DGCA and will be submitting a response in due course. GoAir respects the observations made by the regulator and will take appropriate actions to abide by the directives," the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.

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.”

"As a responsible airline, GoAir accords highest priority to safety of passengers and lays utmost emphasis on providing a safe environment for its passengers and employees," the airline said in its statement today.

First Published:Jan 7, 2020 7:55 PM IST