In Brief: Pilot Leaves Crew Member Stranded After Argument Over Mandated Rest Hours

An Air India pilot left his fellow crew member behind last week, abandoning the man in Jeddah over an argument about rest hours. The pilot of AI963 from Calicut to Jeddah reportedly told Mayank Sharma he would leave him behind in their Jeddah hotel if Sharma took advantage of the 22-hour resting period — a rest period which is mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — before their next flight, AI966 from Jeddah to Bombay via Hyderabad, departed the following day.

In a statement, the India Cabin Crew Association said the pilot’s decision was very irresponsible and also affected other crew on the Boeing 747-400, as they were short one member and in violation of DGCA rules that call for a crew of 12. The DGCA is investigating the incident.

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