Now, full flat bunkers for AI crew to rest on long haul flights

NEW DELHI: Air India cabin crew on long haul flights will now get bunks to sleep on, instead of just being on seats during their rest period. The airline has told the Directorate general of Civil Aviation that bunks for “horizontal rest” will be provided on all flights with a flying time of 11 to 16 hours and above that are operated from Mumbai and Delhi.This includes mainly its nonstops from India to United States and eventually on India/Australia flights with the induction of new Dreamliners with bunks.
The importance of a fully rested and alert cabin crew was highlighted in the recent crash-landing of the Emirates flight in Dubai when the crew ensured that all the 300 people on board the Boeing 777 — including 282 passengers of whom 226 were Indians — evacuated the wide body aircraft in the stipulated 90 seconds.
For long haul flights, airlines are required to take augmented crew so that they can work and rest in rotation, thereby ensuring fully alert personnel in the cockpit and the cabin. Till now, AI — the only Indian carrier to have long haul flights as Jet flies one stop via Europe to Canada — used to make its crew rest by seating them on business class seats, subject to availability, to give them a ‘horizontal’ (read full flat bed) rest.
This was a problem mainly on AI’s Dreamliners (Boeing 777) which operate nonstop to Australia as many of the Boeing 777s deployed for USA have bunks. Earlier this year, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had set new rules for flight duty and time limitation (FDTL) of cabin crew.
AI chief Ashwani Lohani asked the airline’s head of cabin crew, Captain D X Pais who is a senior pilot, to come out with rest rules for the cabin crew under the new DGCA guidelines. “Our scheme improves upon productivity of crew. It incorporates better rest facilities on board long haul flights to make sure the crew is ready to face any eventuality, and also remain fresh and agile for better service,” said a source. The new scheme will come into force from September 1.
The Dreamliners AI inducts now will also have six bunks each and will be deployed on Australia route. The Dreamliners’ other flights are to Europe and Southeast Asia, with a flying time of less than nine hours. “A fully rested crew will ensure better safety compliance during an emergency and also enhanced inflight services,” said an official.
The new rules also provide longer rest at home to enable them to meet social committments, the official added.
For crew, airlines count the actual work period three to four hours before the flight which keeps in mind the time taken to reach the airport and then remaining there for some time before getting on board the aircraft.