Indian FTL Polices : The British Government's Response
The issue of a potentially hazardous Indian FTL policy was brought to the notice of Tony Blair, with detailed facts and figures,through several channels.
In each and every case, the same reply was sent.Here is the excerpt:
" Dear ..........,
Flight Duty Time and Flight Time Limitations
Thank you for your (letter) to the Prime Minister and to me, about the Indian Government’s Civil Aviation Requirements to govern Flight Duty and Rest Time Limitations (FTL). I am replying as the International Aviation and Safety Division of the Department for Transport deals with UK Government policy on aviation safety matters.
As you may know, international civil aviation is governed by the Chicago Convention. Under the Convention, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is responsible for setting the minimum safety standards and recommended practices for international commercial air transport. The safety regulation of foreign registered aircraft rests with the state of registry, but each state must comply with the appropriate minimum standards set out by ICAO. In the case of FTL, Contracting States are required to comply with the provisions of paragraph 9.6 of Annex 6 to the Convention. This provides that:
“The State of the Operator shall establish regulations specifying the limitations applicable to the flight time and flight duty periods for flight crew members. These regulations shall also make provision for adequate rest periods and shall be such as to ensure that fatigue occurring either in a flight or successive flights or accumulated over a period of time due to these and other tasks, does not endanger the safety of a flight”.
We have in place ongoing procedures to assess foreign operated aircraft flying to the UK to ensure that ICAO safety standards are being complied with. These include targeted inspections by the UK Civil Aviation Authority of aircraft from countries where safety oversight has been questioned. If foreign aircraft are found to fall short of ICAO safety standards, we will then take appropriate action.
I trust that this clarifies matters for you.
Yours sincerely,
Sandra Iles.."
A typical bureaucratic response no doubt aimed at maintaining friendly ties with an emerging Asian giant.Undoubtedly,the British Government does not mind mass murder in its back yard as long as it isn't committed in broad daylight.A few months ago an Indian passenger jet flew into LHR with all autopilots having failed,with both the pilots having been on duty in excess of 11 hours.The sound of metal kissing concrete will one day be loud enough to wake up everyone- including those in a far away corner of the world called Downing Street.