The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has told airlines that no variations to pilot duty and rest rules will be allowed from March 2027, when the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), takes full effect, persons aware of the matter said.
The rules were due to be implemented since November 2025 and deferred after IndiGo’s operational collapse roiled India’s aviation sector. This time, airlines have been directed to plan their crew rosters and operations to comply with the regulations, one of the people cited above added.
“Airlines have been informed that all variations to DGCA rules will end when full FDTL are implemented in March,” this person added, asking not to be named.
Second phase focuses largely on night operations
The FDTL rules prescribe limits on pilots’ flight duty periods, night operations and consecutive duties, and specify minimum rest requirements, to address pilot fatigue and improve flight safety. The first of two phases took effect on July 1, 2025. The second, largely relating to night operations, was to take effect on November 1, 2025, but was deferred for all airlines after IndiGo’s operational collapse.
More than 1.04 million passengers were affected by flight cancellations in December, over 93% of them IndiGo’s, according to DGCA data, and the airline’s market share fell to 59.6% from 63.6% in one month. DGCA exempted IndiGo from several FDTL provisions until February 10, 2026, and later fined it ₹22.2 crore.
Airlines drop earlier requests for FDTL variations
A one-time relaxation for airlines, due to end on April 30 this year, was overtaken by the conflict in West Asia, which drove up aviation fuel prices and forced airlines to take longer routes, stretching them financially and operationally. A number of relaxations approved since then expire on October 31. They are likely to be extended, the persons said.
In submissions to the DGCA in November last year, before the December disruption, airlines had sought variations to several provisions. IndiGo, for instance, sought to define night duty as midnight to 5am instead of midnight to 6am. Those requests are no longer being pursued, the persons said.
Pilot bodies have pressed for the FDTL as per civil aviation rules to be implemented in full. At a meeting with the DGCA on July 13 this year, chaired by joint director general Maneesh Kumar, representatives of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) and ALPA India urged the regulator to avoid further temporary variations. According to the minutes, issued on August 13 and seen by HT, they said airlines had been given sufficient time to increase pilot strength and revise their scheduling systems, and that IndiGo and Air India had adequate pilot strength to implement the second phase without temporary variations. They also sought reinstatement of the provision that states “no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest”, saying weekly rest is important for preventing cumulative fatigue. They said the FDTL CAR, dated January 8, 2024, was based on scientific fatigue assessment.
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DGCA committee to examine existing variations
“Concerns were raised over several provisions of the FDTL Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), including those relating to night duty, consecutive night duties, minimum rest periods and weekly rest. A clarity was also sought on the legal implications of changes to the regulations, particularly in view of proceedings pending before the Delhi High Court,” a senior official aware of the matter, who asked not to be named, said.
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DGCA asked the pilot bodies to submit their views on the existing variations, to be examined by an internal DGCA committee reporting to the director general, the minutes show. The committee is not considering amendments to the CAR, the persons said.
Pilot bodies filed a contempt petition in the Delhi High Court in December 2025, after the variations were given on FDTL CAR, over the implementation of its order requiring the DGCA to bring the norms into force in two phases: 15 of the 22 clauses from July 1, 2025, and the remaining seven from November 1, 2025.
Queries sent to Air India and IndiGo did not elicit a response.