NEW DELHI: Govt has put on hold the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots with "immediate effect for now" and expects normalcy in IndiGo operations to be restored by Dec 15.
The aviation ministry's decision came Friday when over 1,000 IndiGo flights - more than half its schedule - were cancelled, with none operating from Delhi, wreaking havoc on plans of lakhs of fliers. IndiGo is offering full waiver on cancellation /reschedule requests on travel from Dec 5 to 15. On Saturday, less than 1,000 flights are likely to be cancelled. The number will gradually fall.
On Thursday - when its on-time performance touched its nadir at 8.5% - IndiGo had sought exemption from certain norms, such as the cap on number of night landings a pilot can make between midnight and 6am, to restore normalcy in Airbus A320 operations by Feb 10, 2026. Since that was a long way off, govt put Directorate General of Civil Aviation's FDTL orders in abeyance.
Govt: Putting rule on hold in flyers' interest, won't compromise safety Putting on hold Friday its orders meant to ensure that pilots are not fatigued, thereby boosting flight safety, govt said the move will not compromise on safety of passengers. "This decision has been taken solely in the interest of passengers, especially senior citizens, students, patients and others who rely on timely air travel for essential needs... taken urgent measures to address the ongoing disruption in flight schedules, particularly those of IndiGo," Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said.
DGCA has constituted a four-member committee headed by a joint DG for a "comprehensive review and assessment of circumstances leading to operational disruption of IndiGo. Committee will identify accountabilities for failure and adequacy of subsequent mitigation measures being taken by IndiGo," a govt statement said.
Aviation authorities say all possible steps are being taken to stabilise IndiGo operations at the earliest. DGCA has offered its Airbus A320-type-rated flight operations inspectors (FOIs) to operate flights for IndiGo in an attempt to help the airline recover from its lowest operational point in over 19 years of existence. "FOIs operate a flight every month (to keep their licences valid). We have made this offer to IndiGo, they did not ask for it, to help it get back on its feet as quickly as possible," said sources.
A significant number of pilots for IndiGo and for some other Indian carriers are upset at losing their hard-earned right to a more humane roster. "Airlines treat us as mere cost-cutting items in their income and expenditure statements during their good days. When it fell on bad days last month, we helped as much as working at 120%. But that could not have gone on indefinitely as we remember how they treat us," said many senior pilots.
Sensing the simmering discontent, Naidu held meetings over video links with some pilot bodies and assured them that the exemption from the new FDTL was temporary. DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai issued an appeal to pilots' associations as the aviation sector is under "significant stress".
"As we now approach fog season, peak holiday period, and marriage travel season, it is crucial that the industry prepares for even greater operational challenges. Passenger volumes are expected to rise sharply, and weather-related impacts may further complicate scheduling and flight safety. Given this situation, we earnestly request full cooperation of all pilot bodies, associations, and pilots across India," Ahmed's letter says.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a video statement saying normalcy could return between Dec 10 and 15, while admitting the crisis had "shaken customers' belief in IndiGo's reliability, built over the last 19 years".
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