Amended cabin crew rules to impact low-cost carriers

Mumbai: Low-cost Indian airlines, mostly in an expansion phase, are worried about not being able to meet new regulatory requirements determining experience levels of senior cabin crew. New rules, which require a cabin crew in-charge to have minimum four years of flying experience and a year of aircraft-type experience, are likely to impact operations of low cost carriers, as such experience is in short supply in the industry.

Last March, the DGCA introduced new civil aviation requirement (CAR) on cabin crew training which specifies qualification and experience requirements of cabin crew among other things. Under amended CAR a cabin crew in-charge should have minimum four years of flying experience, including one year experience of an aircraft type.

The regulator further permitted airlines till September this year to meet new specifications. Currently, a year's experience is enough for an individual to put in-charge of cabin crew.

With low-cost carriers in an expansion mode, and a paucity of trained crew members in the industry, airlines are worried about the impact of amended rules on their operations as crew with such experience are not available for recruitment in large enough numbers.

Though the DGCA provided a year's window to airlines to implement new regulations, airlines are now suggesting the regulator either defer implementation or amend the rule. Low cost carriers are particularly worried as full-service providers are generally well staffed with crew with four years' experience and more.

The DGCA, sources suggest, is also carrying out a study of cabin crew requirement of each airline and availability of manpower.

Spice Jet and IndiGo, the two carriers which, according to sources, have the approached the regulator to amend or suspend the new rules, are both in an expansion mode. Both carriers are adding planes this year.

Industry sources say age, maturity and experience are important factors while deciding on qualifications of a cabin crew as these factors are critical when dealing with on-board safety incidents, as maturity is required to manage the lives of passengers.