The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has informed the Delhi High Court that all current exemptions granted to airlines regarding the new pilot fatigue management norms are strictly temporary and will cease within a maximum period of six months. The submission was made on Tuesday during the hearing of a contempt plea filed by pilot unions alleging the regulator had diluted safety standards.
Appearing before the bench of Justice Amit Sharma, the aviation regulator maintained that it is firmly committed to ensuring full compliance with the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) issued in 2024. The DGCA clarified that variations allowed to major carriers, including Air India and IndiGo, were issued under its statutory powers without any commercial considerations and are subject to routine review every two weeks.
The High Court was hearing two petitions filed by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) and the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG). The unions have accused the DGCA of violating previous undertakings given to the court by permitting airlines to dilute rest and duty norms intended to address pilot fatigue.
Senior Counsel Vivek Kohli, representing the IPG, argued that despite the DGCA’s commitment to a phased rollout of the new safety norms, the regulator continued to grant airline-specific exemptions—such as allowing additional landings or extended duties in delayed operations—without seeking the court’s permission or re-engaging with pilot bodies. The IPG represents Air India pilots flying wide-bodied aircraft.
Defending its stance, Advocate Anjana Gosain, appearing for the DGCA, rejected the allegations of contempt. She asserted that the variations fell squarely within the regulator’s statutory powers and were not granted “lightly.”
“Six months is the outer limit. We have told all airlines, including IndiGo, to expedite compliance,” Gosain told the court. She emphasized that the regulator views pilots as an integral part of the industry and is working “shoulder to shoulder” with them to ensure safety. The DGCA pointed out that pilot representatives had participated in consultations as recently as November 21.
Regarding its affidavit dated February 19, 2025, the DGCA argued that while the document reflected a consensus among stakeholders, the court had never issued a specific direction mandating that the exact scheme placed on record must be implemented without operational variations.
The hearing comes in the wake of a severe operational crisis faced by IndiGo earlier this month. The airline, which commands over 60% of India’s domestic market, witnessed thousands of flight cancellations due to a “convergence of crises,” including pilot shortages and the enforcement of the new FDTL rules amidst an aggressive winter schedule.
The new FDTL norms, designed to enhance rest, included increasing weekly rest periods from 36 to 48 hours and redefining “night duty” to cover the midnight-to-6 am window. The implementation was initially scheduled in two phases—July 1 and November 1. However, the rigid enforcement forced hundreds of pilots into mandatory downtime, causing the airline’s high-utilization model to collapse. Consequently, the government temporarily suspended the norms and imposed airfare caps to assist stranded travelers.
After hearing the submissions, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the DGCA, directing it to file a comprehensive reply. The matter has been listed for further hearing on April 17, 2026.
