‘Suspicion of falsifying records…': What is DGCA's new medical test at IAF centres rule for pilots? Here's why airlines are alarmed
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s new rule for commercial pilots to clear medical tests at Indian Air Force (IAF) centres has caused alarm amongst airlines in India.
The civil aviation authority's latest directive, issued last week, specifies that commercial pilots must undergo medical examinations exclusively at Indian Air Force facilities.
This supersedes the previous regulation that permitted these medical tests at approved private hospitals and by DGCA-empanelled medical examiners. DGCA guidelines require all pilots to complete regular medical examinations which include a comprehensive set of tests.
Medical Tests For Pilots: Why Has DGCA Changed Rules?
According to senior regulatory officials quoted in an ET report, this new rule has been implemented following an incident where an airline co-pilot suffered a fatal cardiac arrest post-flight.
Subsequent DGCA investigations revealed the pilot had pre-existing cardiac conditions unknown to the airline.
"We felt that there was a change required for the process as there was suspicion that a few were falsifying records to pass their medicals," the official was quoted as saying.
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Why Are Airlines Worried?
Aviation executives are worried that strict military medical criteria could lead to numerous pilots being deemed unfit for duty, resulting in pilot shortages and higher insurance costs for airlines.
Airline industry leaders express concerns about the significant differences between military and commercial pilot medical standards. The IAF's limited capacity has resulted in lengthy processing times, potentially affecting flight operations due to pilot availability issues.
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"The air force does not have the mandate and cannot keep increasing its manpower and infrastructure requirements to meet the civil aviation requirements," an airline official said according to the financial daily.
"Worldwide, India remains the only country which has not severed the cord from the defence establishments for civil pilot medicals; the philosophy and requirements in clearing the pilots for both the civil and defence are very different, hence the need to separate from defence was felt by all countries," the official added.
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Indian aviation regulations require pilots to undergo additional medical examinations, including ultrasound, tread mill test and specific biochemical tests, which are not mandatory requirements by major international regulators such as the FAA in the United States or EASA in Europe.
According to the Federation of Indian Pilots, military doctors adhere to military protocols and operational standards, leading them to assess commercial pilots using criteria similar to those applied to combat-ready fighter pilots.
As a consequence, these physicians frequently recommend commercial aviators to undergo comprehensive secondary medical examinations through external facilities, resulting in time-consuming and costly procedures that may not always be essential, it said.
"With India becoming the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world, after the US and China, the assumption is that India will require more than 30,000 pilots over the next few years. It is imperative that the process is looked at and revised at the earliest," a pilot said.
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