The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to respond to a contempt petition filed by the Indian Pilots Guild, which has accused aviation authorities of failing to fully implement new flight duty time limitation rules meant to curb pilot fatigue and enhance passenger safety.
Justice Amit Sharma issued notice to the DGCA after the pilots’ body alleged that airlines were granted extensions, exemptions and relaxations in violation of the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) 2024 framework, despite earlier directions of the court. The matter has been listed for further hearing on April 17.
In its plea, the Indian Pilots Guild urged the court to initiate contempt proceedings, claiming “wilful and deliberate non-compliance” with the High Court’s earlier orders approving the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. The association argued that the new rules were designed to strengthen fatigue management for flight crew but were being diluted through regulatory relaxations.
According to the petition, by approving non-compliant FDTL schemes and granting variations to airlines, the authorities had not only defied the court’s directions but also put flight operations and passenger safety at risk.
The DGCA opposed the contempt plea, with its counsel telling the court that the regulator had not been barred from exercising its statutory powers. While the timelines for implementing the CAR were binding, the DGCA maintained it retained authority under the Aircraft Act and Rules to grant temporary, case-specific exemptions. These relaxations, the regulator said, were limited in scope, subject to review, and did not undermine the validity of the CAR.
Earlier this year, in a separate proceeding, the DGCA had informed the High Court that the revised FDTL norms would be rolled out in phases. Of the 22 proposed clauses, 15 were implemented from July 1, while the remaining provisions are scheduled to come into effect from November 1, 2025. The revised CAR 2024, which provides for increased rest periods for pilots, was originally slated to commence from June 1, 2024.
The High Court’s scrutiny of the FDTL norms stems from multiple petitions filed by pilot associations, including the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, Indian Pilots Guild and the Federation of Indian Pilots, challenging the regulator’s approach to implementation.
Notably, the Federation of Indian Pilots had also moved a contempt petition in November 2025, alleging that despite assurances to the court, the DGCA continued to allow extensions and approve fatigue management schemes that did not align with CAR 2024 or the agreed timelines.
With the court now seeking a formal response from the DGCA on the Indian Pilots Guild’s plea, the case is expected to test the balance between regulatory discretion and strict enforcement of safety-driven duty time limits in India’s aviation sector.
