Pilot body alleges granting 'unsafe, selective' relaxations to IndiGo under new fatigue rules

In a sharp escalation of tensions within India’s aviation sector, the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) has lodged a formal complaint with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), alleging that the regulator has granted “selective and unsafe” dispensations to IndiGo Airlines under the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. The association warned that the move not only violates earlier assurances but also compromises passenger safety.

The letter, submitted on Friday, highlights the DGCA’s decision to allow IndiGo leeway in implementing Phase II of the new FDTL Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR)—rules intended to manage pilot fatigue by tightening duty hours, rest periods and night-time operational limits.

This came after IndiGo suspended on Friday all departures from Delhi until midnight, deepening a nationwide disruption that has strained its operations for days amid internal scheduling challenges. The airline is also cancelling 104 flights at Mumbai Airport and over 100 from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.

The aviation regulator eased certain pilot duty norms on Friday.

According to the pilots’ body, the DGCA had, during a meeting on 24 November 2025, “unequivocally agreed” that no exemptions or variations would be granted to any airline, especially those driven by commercial considerations. ALPA India says the understanding was clear: FDTL norms exist solely to protect lives, and any dilution increases the risk of fatigue-related incidents.

Despite this agreement, the association alleges that the DGCA has provided IndiGo with special dispensations allowing it to operate beyond the prescribed safety envelope laid out in Phase II of the CAR. The airline, ALPA claims, sought relief on grounds of passenger inconvenience even though it had expanded its winter schedule despite being aware of the upcoming Phase II rollout.

The pilots’ body argues that this disruption—surfacing more than a month after Phase II took effect on 1 November 2025—raises concerns of an “artificially engineered crisis” aimed at pressuring authorities for operational leniency. “All operators had nearly two years to prepare for these norms, implemented in two phases. Yet IndiGo failed to adjust its roster and instead increased winter operations,” the letter states.

ALPA India’s grievances centre on what it calls “dangerous modifications” approved by the DGCA, including a relaxed definition of night operations and a doubling of permitted landings that encroach into night hours—from two to four. These relaxations “fundamentally dilute the protective intent” of fatigue rules and directly affect pilot alertness, the association said.

By extending what the pilots term “layered, selective dispensations,” the DGCA has effectively acknowledged that IndiGo pilots will now fly with reduced rest and increased fatigue, placing passengers at a higher risk compared to other airlines, ALPA India said. The group warned that such selective exemptions undermine regulatory parity and set a precedent that other airlines could cite to seek similar relaxations, eroding the authority of the FDTL framework itself.

The letter lists four consequences of the DGCA’s actions:

Destruction of regulatory uniformity,

Erosion of public trust in the regulator’s neutrality,

Compromise of scientifically established fatigue safeguards, and

Heightened risk to millions of passengers.

ALPA India has demanded immediate withdrawal of all exemptions granted to IndiGo, an investigation into what it calls IndiGo’s “artificial pilot-shortage narrative,” and punitive action against company management for securing safety-diluting permissions “under false pretences.” It has also sought full enforcement of FDTL CAR Rev 2 of 2024 without any exceptions.

The pilots’ association concluded with a stark warning: if dispensations are not revoked, the DGCA would bear “direct responsibility” for any fatigue-related incident, adding that flight crew should not be blamed for consequences enabled by regulatory leniency.

Cancellations continued to surge across IndiGo’s network, with more than 400 flights scrapped on Friday, PTI reported, and major airports witnessing significant delays. Passengers faced long queues and extended wait times as the carrier struggled to stabilise operations. Chennai Airport listed around 20 departures and nearly a dozen arrivals cancelled as of Friday noon.