India: Pilots Refuse to Fly Plane; Leave Hundreds Stranded at Airport
A bizarre case in India saw over 100 passengers get stranded in an Indian airport after the pilots of 10 planes refused to complete their journey, citing flight timing laws as their reason.
A report by the India news agency News 9 Live stated that 116 passengers were stranded at the Jaipur International Airport as pilots of 10 aircraft refused to fly their planes under the Flight Time Delay Limitation (FTDL) rule.
The 10 flights—two from IndiGo, five from Air India, one from Vistara, and two from Alliance Air—in question were diverted to Jaipur because of dense fog in the country.
Later, two planes out of the 10 proceeded to their destinations, while the rest remained stranded at the airport.
It is pertinent to mention here that pilots and flight attendants are strictly advised to follow the FTDL rule laid down by India’s Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) so they get adequate rest and avoid fatigue-related safety issues.
Under the regulations, crew members can not work for more than eight hours a day, 35 hours a week, 125 hours a month, or 1000 hours a year.
