The experience requirements particularly relating to the medical fitness for foreign pilots flying under FATA (Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization) norms are lower than that prescribed for Indian pilots which were discriminatory and arbitrary said The Society for Welfare of Indian Pilots in its writ petition.

The society also added that such lower standards had led to several accidents, the most recently being the Mangalore crash. The First Bench comprising Chief Justice MY Eqbal and Justice TS Sivagnanam said subsequent to the admission of the petition in the HC, the DGCA notified draft amendments to the CAR and prescribed conditions for foreign pilots on a par with their Indian counterparts in its order on the petition

The assessment of the medical fitness of foreign pilots should not be based on the appraisal of the licence issuing authority of a foreign [contracting] country. Foreign pilots should be made to abide by the regulations prescribed by the DGCA said the petitioner.