In a significant move to address the ongoing operational crisis at IndiGo, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted the airline a one-time, temporary exemption from certain provisions of the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. This relief, valid until February 10, 2025, aims to help the carrier stabilise its schedule after days of massive disruptions that have left thousands of passengers stranded.
The Core of the Crisis: Misjudged Crew Planning
The aviation regulator's decision came after IndiGo, in a meeting on Thursday, admitted to misjudging its flight crew requirements under the revised FDTL norms. The new rules, implemented to combat pilot fatigue, came into full effect on November 1. IndiGo, which operates over 2,300 daily flights with a domestic market share exceeding 60%, found itself critically short of pilots to man its extensive network, especially during night hours.
The scale of the disruption escalated rapidly. By Friday, December 5, 2025, the airline had cancelled more than 500 flights across major airports. All domestic departures from its crucial Delhi hub were cancelled until midnight, highlighting the severity of the situation.
What the Exemptions Entail
The DGCA's order provides specific, time-bound relaxations to help IndiGo recover. Crucially, the regulator has emphasised that these are solely for operational stabilisation and do not dilute safety standards.
The key exemptions are:
- The definition of 'night' for IndiGo will temporarily revert to midnight to 5 am, instead of the new norm of midnight to 6 am.
- The cap on the number of landings a pilot can perform during these night hours has been raised to six, from the new limit of two.
Additionally, in a measure affecting all airlines, the DGCA has withdrawn a clause related to the mandatory 48-hour weekly rest for pilots. The rule that prevented other leaves from being substituted for this rest period has been scrapped with immediate effect to provide more roster flexibility.
Path to Compliance and Industry Backlash
The relief is not unconditional. The DGCA has mandated that IndiGo submit a fortnightly progress report detailing crew utilisation, steps taken to improve availability, and operational improvements. Furthermore, the airline must present a roadmap for full compliance with the new FDTL rules within 30 days.
However, the decision has faced criticism. Pilot associations have condemned the exemptions, demanding their immediate withdrawal and expressing concern over potential safety compromises and unfair advantage.
IndiGo's vulnerability stems from its operational model. The airline runs a high-frequency network with a significant number of night and early-morning flights. Its lean staffing and high aircraft utilisation strategy left little buffer to absorb the crew shortfall created by the stricter rest rules. Data presented to the DGCA shows IndiGo currently has 2,357 captains for its Airbus A320 fleet against a required 2,422 under the new norms.
The airline has stated it will begin reducing flights from Monday, December 8, to minimise disruption and expects to return to fully normalised operations by the February 10 deadline for the exemptions.
