- DGCA updates pilot medical norms and agrees to review pilot health standards.
- ALPA flags fatigue risks, logbook penalties, and demands fairer oversight.
- Regulator to revisit Rule 67A penalties and FDTL violations with airlines.
India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has updated medical assessment norms for commercial pilots while also agreeing to set up a committee to review and revise these standards, reflecting both regulatory assertiveness and an effort to defuse mounting tensions.
In a recent public notice, DGCA has outlined new periodicity guidelines for Class 1, 2, and 3 medical assessments, effective from September 1, 2025. While the existing examination protocols remain valid, the updated framework introduces age-linked intervals, enforces stricter compliance from DGCA-empanelled examiners, and permits random audits of pilot medical files.
Top aviation experts informed that “balancing regulatory vigilance with procedural fairness will be critical, especially as Indian carriers expand into more complex, long-haul operations.”
The upcoming committee on medical parameters could become a litmus test of whether India’s regulatory apparatus is ready to modernise while earning the confidence of the workforce at the heart of flight safety.
At the same time, following sustained lobbying by the Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA), the DGCA agreed to form a dedicated committee to align India’s pilot medical parameters with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommendations.
Revised Guidelines and Oversight
According to the regulator, mandatory assessments will continue in the event of detected abnormalities or when deemed necessary by designated medical centres or examiners. The DGCA stressed that accuracy in the CA-35 medical reporting form would be critical, and any discrepancies could impact licensing decisions.
No changes were made to Class 3 or cabin crew medical requirements. The DGCA also said any updates to Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) and eGCA digital processes would be communicated via its website.
Pilots Welcome Panel, Demand Systemic Reform
ALPA, which represents over 1,000 Indian pilots flying domestically and internationally, welcomed the move to set up the review committee. The association had earlier raised concerns that medical assessments were inconsistent with international norms and sometimes arbitrary. Medical testing for civilian pilots is currently conducted at military-run institutions, such as the Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Bengaluru and the Air Force Central Medical Establishment in Delhi.
The regulator’s concession came days after ALPA publicly rejected the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report on the Ahmedabad crash, accusing the investigation of showing a “bias toward pilot error.”
Fatigue and Flight Duty Violations Surface
During the meeting, ALPA flagged serious concerns around the misuse and misinterpretation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) by several Indian carriers. According to the association, pilots were often rostered for early morning flights immediately after returning from sick leave or casual leave, in violation of recommended fatigue recovery protocols.
The association further alleged that weekly rest provisions were being bypassed, and in many cases, fatigue reports were being recategorised as sick leave, effectively undermining the spirit of CAR-mandated rest periods. These scheduling practices, ALPA warned, not only jeopardise flight safety but also erode pilot confidence in the regulatory safeguards meant to protect them.
Responding to these concerns, the DGCA assured ALPA that it would convene a separate meeting with its Flight Safety Department and airline operators to ensure full compliance with the Civil Aviation Requirements related to flight duty and rest norms.
Digital Logbook Penalties Stir Friction
ALPA also raised red flags about the functioning of the eGCA digital logbook, a mandatory platform where pilots are required to record their duty hours and training history. The association pointed out that numerous pilots had received show cause notices and were being subjected to hefty fines, sometimes as high as ₹75,000, for delayed or incorrect logbook entries.
The crux of the issue, ALPA argued, lies in accountability. Under the current system, airlines are responsible for uploading duty and training data into the digital system. Penalising pilots for discrepancies beyond their control, the association said, was not only unfair but also symptomatic of a wider disconnect between operational realities and regulatory enforcement.
In response, the DGCA assured ALPA that a review meeting would be scheduled to examine the concerns, with the aim of reassessing both the penalty structure and data responsibility protocols under Rule 67A.
Push for Transparency in Investigations
In a broader call for institutional reform, ALPA urged the DGCA to grant the association a permanent invitee status in all investigations involving pilots, including those conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The union also requested observer privileges in air accident investigations to ensure transparency and fair representation of the flight crew’s perspectives.
The request follows ALPA’s strong criticism of the recent AAIB report on the Ahmedabad crash, which the group rejected as biased and disproportionately focused on pilot error.
While the DGCA has yet to take a final position on the demand, officials familiar with the matter said the regulator is reviewing existing procedures around accident investigations and may consider broader consultation frameworks going forward.
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