The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has partially withdrawn a key instruction regarding pilot weekly rest from its recently implemented Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. This decision comes in response to the massive operational meltdown at IndiGo Airlines, which resulted in the cancellation of over 1,000 flights in just four days, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at major hubs like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
The Source of the Crisis
The widespread disruptions at IndiGo, India’s largest airline with a 60% domestic market share, were primarily attributed to a severe crew shortage following the full implementation of the revised FDTL norms on November 1. These new rules, mandated by the DGCA to combat pilot fatigue, required:
- An increase in the weekly rest period to 48 hours.
- A cap on the number of night landings pilots could perform.
IndiGo, despite having years to prepare, admitted to regulators that the crisis stemmed from “misjudgment and planning gaps” in adapting its crew rostering to the new, stricter requirements. This lack of readiness caused the airline’s on-time performance (OTP) to plummet to a record low.
DGCA withdraws instructions to all operators regarding Weekly Rest for crew members.
— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2025
"...In view of the ongoing operational disruptions and representations received from various airlines regarding the need to ensure continuity and stability of operations...the instruction… pic.twitter.com/uJXxs6Sxqy
DGCA’s Relief Measure
To stabilize the chaotic aviation environment, the DGCA issued a notification temporarily withdrawing a crucial clause. The notification reads:
“In view of the ongoing operational disruptions and representations received from various airlines regarding the need to ensure continuity and stability of operations... the instruction contained in the referenced paragraph that no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect.”
By withdrawing this strict restriction on substituting weekly rest with accumulated leave, the DGCA aims to provide airlines like IndiGo the necessary flexibility to rapidly re-roster their existing crew and normalize operations. IndiGo has told the DGCA that full stability will likely return by February 10, 2026.
Aviation insiders, however, cautioned that while the temporary waiver offers immediate relief, any sustained dilution of safety-focused FDTL norms could compromise passenger and crew safety, an argument strongly echoed by pilot associations.
