(1.) Leave granted.
(2.) This appeal has been preferred against the judgment and order dated 14.8.2008 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Bombay dismissing the Writ Petition No. 1687 of 2008, wherein the Appellants had challenged the validity and propriety of a Circular issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation, (hereinafter called as DGCA), Respondent No. 1 dated 29.5.2008, to the effect that Civil Aviation Requirements (hereinafter called as the CAR) dated 27.7.2007 had been kept in abeyance.
(3.) Facts and circumstances giving rise to this case are that the Appellants are the Joint Action Committees of the Airlines Pilots Association representing several airlines operating in India. The dispute relates to the Flight Time (FT) and Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL), as there is some variance between the Aeronautical Information Circular (hereinafter called as AIC) No. 28/92 and the CAR 2007. Vide AIC 28/92, FT and FDTL had been defined and fixed depending upon the distance of destination and number of landings. The rest period for the pilots stood substantially changed by the CAR 2007 to the greater benefit of the pilots. However, a large number of representations had been made by the airlines to the DGCA and the Central Government, Respondents herein, to the effect that it was practically not possible for them to ensure compliance of CAR 2007 and thus, the same was kept in abeyance. By a subsequent order dated 2.6.2008, the AIC 28/92 was revived.