Anger among passengers had increased due to continuous cancellation and huge delays of Indigo flights across the country. Thousands of people remained stranded at airports and it had a major impact on the country’s aviation network. Amidst this pressure, DGCA admitted that the Phase-2 FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) rules have suddenly reduced crew availability. IndiGo failed to accurately estimate its actual requirement as per the new guidelines and this led to widespread operational disruptions across the country. After severe inconvenience to the passengers, DGCA decided that it is necessary to provide temporary relief to stabilize the national air network.
IndiGo told DGCA that after the implementation of the new FDTL rules, its planning and rostering was not as strong as it should have been. The new calculation of night shift duty, rest time and duty hours suddenly dropped the available number of crew. The airline admitted that it had miscalculated the need for pilots and cabin crew, leading to a spate of cancellations. Indigo assured that it will soon recruit additional crew so that all the rules can be fully followed in the future.
Relief given by DGCA
The relief given by DGCA is related to two special rules. The first is Para 3.11, which regulates night duty from 12 midnight to 5 am. The second is Para 6.1.4, which prohibits flights that enter night-duty hours. Once these two rules are temporarily relaxed, it will be easier for IndiGo to run night flights without excessive restrictions and crew utilization will also improve.
The exemption will be effective till 10 February 2026
This exemption will remain effective till 10 February 2026, but conditions of strict inspection and monitoring have also been added to it. DGCA has directed the airline to submit a progress report every 15 days, which will include crew utilization, steps to increase availability, improvements in operations and new rostering model. It is also mandatory to submit a detailed roadmap to IndiGo within 30 days, which should have clear instructions on crew management, scheduling and regulation compliance. DGCA has also made it clear that all other rules of FDTL will have to be strictly followed and no relaxation will be given in any other provision. DGCA can withdraw the relief at any time if the situation worsens or there is lack of compliance. This temporary relief from DGCA can give some balance to the airline industry for the time being and passengers are also expected to get relief from flight cancellations in the coming days.
Now what does the new provision say?
The new order has given a lot of flexibility to the airlines. If a pilot or cabin crew is given leave, it will be considered equivalent to weekly rest. This will allow airlines to prepare rosters without interruption and flight schedules will remain more stable.
How will passengers get the benefit?
The new change will directly provide relief to the passengers. The incidence of excessive delays and canceled flights will reduce. Airlines will be able to bring their daily operations back to normal speed, making the travel experience comfortable again.
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