New Delhi: The Airlines Pilots’ Association of India (APAI) on Friday (December 5) has sharply criticised the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for granting IndiGo temporary relief by suspending implementation of the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) rules, warning that the move endangers passengers. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has put the revised flight duty rules on hold until February 10 as IndiGo faced massive cancellations and delays in the last few days.

In a letter to the DGCA, the group said, “IndiGo pilots will now fly with reduced rest and increased fatigue, placing their passengers at elevated risk.” The association argued that the ongoing crisis is rooted in the airline’s planning failures and an over-reliance on “prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy,” pointing to inadequate hiring, frozen pay and tight staffing in flight operations.

The association expressed disappointment that IndiGo had been given “selective dispensations” for phase two of the updated FDTL civil aviation requirements (CAR) underlining that during a November 24 meeting with the regulator, it was agreed that no operator would receive any exemptions.

"This decision, taken despite repeated representations, formal letters, and direct discussions with your esteemed office, has undermined the very spirit of the FDTL regulations and gravely compromised the safety of the flying public," the letter stated.

It added: “The consensus was clear: FDTL norms exist solely to safeguard human life, and any dilution of these limits would expose pilots, passengers, and aircraft to unacceptable risks.”

APAI maintained that the airline’s operational collapse reflected poor preparedness for the updated fatigue rules, despite long-standing notice. The group said IndiGo’s approach left it unable to meet the new requirements that took effect last month and accused the airlines of underestimating the impact of tighter limits on night schedules and early-morning flying.

It also criticised the carrier for requesting relief on grounds of “passenger inconvenience,” saying IndiGo expanded its winter schedule despite knowing the new rules were imminent. “All operators had almost two years to implement the new FDTL, and that too in two phases. Even with this ample time, IndiGo failed to organise its roster and instead increased its operations for winter 2025 which was approved by your office,” the letter mentioned.

“What is even more alarming is that phase two itself already includes many dispensations tailor-made for operators selectively, intended as a transitional relaxation to assist operators,” it added.

The body underlined that their strongest objection was the nature of the relaxations offered to IndiGo. “Not only has the night definition been relaxed, but the permitted number of landings encroaching night operations has been doubled, from two to four, directly contradicting the original CAR issued by the DGCA.”

The new FDTL rules, which are now put on hold, give pilots a longer weekly break of 48 hours instead of 36 hours and cut the number of night landings they can do each week from six to just two. They also broaden what counts as “night” by one extra hour, which makes scheduling tighter for airlines. These changes are meant to reduce pilot fatigue, a big safety concern in the aviation industry.

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The rules were originally supposed to be implemented by the ministry in June 2024, but IndiGo and other carriers pushed back, saying they would need more pilots and wanted a slower rollout. After a Delhi high court directive, the DGCA went ahead and put the rules into effect this year in a phased manner in July and November.

The ministry said the decision to pause the norms was taken to help stabilise IndiGo’s network. The carrier cancelled more than 1,000 flights on Friday, including all 243 scheduled domestic departures from Delhi, most services from Mumbai and nearly a hundred from Chennai.

The pushback from APAI came after the DGCA appealed to pilot groups for support as airlines deal with extensive disruptions. The regulator cautioned that with the onset of fog, peak holiday travel, and a high-volume wedding season, further strain is expected.

The DGCA said, “As we now approach the fog season, the peak holiday period, and the marriage travel season, it is crucial that the industry prepares for even greater operational challenges. Passenger volumes are expected to rise sharply, and weather-related impacts may further complicate scheduling and flight safety,” urging “full cooperation” from pilot organisations.

Contrary to the pilot body's statement, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the decision was taken “without compromising safety” and was meant to ease travel for “passengers, especially senior citizens, students, patients, and others who rely on timely air travel for essential needs.”

Now, as part of the emergency response, the DGCA has also authorised IndiGo to temporarily use 12 of its flight operations inspectors – IndiGo pilots currently seconded as regulators – for a period of seven to ten days to assist with scheduling and operations. These inspectors are ordinarily prohibited from flying commercially to avoid conflicts of interest, Business Standard reported.

IndiGo informed the regulator that the “massive flight cancellations/delays” arose from misjudging how the November 1 changes would affect pilot rosters. The airline accepted that its preparation was “insufficient” and told DGCA that it would begin new recruitment to meet requirements. The regulator has asked IndiGo to file progress updates every 15 days, detailing utilisation, staffing measures, operational improvements and scheduling adjustments, the BS report noted.

According to Statista, IndiGo accounted for 63% of India’s aviation market as of September 2025. Air India, owned by the Tata Group, held 13.6%, and Air India Express had a 6.3% share.

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