Garuda applies lower limits on work hours to keep pilots fit

(tribunnews.com)National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia applies lower limits on work hours than those stipulated in governmental regulations to keep its pilots fit and healthy.

“The official regulation applies a maximum of 9 hours of work per day for pilots, but we apply a maximum of 8 hours of work per day for our pilots,” Garuda spokesman Pujobroto told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Pujobroto added that the airline also provided a 12–hour rest interval for pilots before they fly, longer than the regulated 9-hour period.

He said that the airline had carried out regular random drug and alcohol checks on its pilots and crew for the last seven years.

“We randomly check on all crew, including ground crew, regularly. [The checks] could be in Jakarta or in Denpasar and could be conducted before departing or after landing,” Pujobroto said, adding that the airline had never found its pilots or crew using drugs or alcohol during the checks.

The checks were also in accordance with international regulations demanded by countries to which the airline flies. “Otherwise, those countries, such as Australia, won’t let Garuda airplanes land,” he said.

According to Pujobroto, the company has allocated a significant budget to carry out the regular checks.

“We consider it as an investment, because flight safety is our top priority,” Pujobroto said without elaborating on the exact figures.