Major Airlines Seek Relaxation In FDTL Norms Citing New Pilot Rest Rules 'Unsustainable'

New Delhi: On the heels of a massive operational crisis, representatives from India's leading airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and AirAsia (AIX Connect), met with the Secretary of Civil Aviation and senior government officials earlier this week to push for a permanent relaxation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.

What are FDTL norms

The FDTL norms, rules governing pilot work shifts and rest, underwent a significant toughening after pilot groups successfully litigated for higher safety standards. The new, more stringent limits are designed to mitigate fatigue and enhance the overall safety of air travel.

On January 19, 2026, a high-level review meeting was held between IndiGo and the Ministry of Civil Aviation following a record ₹22.20 crore fine levied on the airline. The penalty was imposed after a four-member inquiry committee determined that IndiGo had failed to adequately plan for new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, leading to massive operational chaos and over 2,500 flight cancellations in December 2025.

During the meeting, IndiGo management assured the regulator that it would use the current temporary FDTL relaxation period, which expires on February 10, 2026, to fully improvise and stabilize its crew management systems. The airline formally pledged that there would be no flight cancellations after February 10 due to crew rostering issues or management instability, citing a significant ramp-up in pilot strength that now exceeds the projected requirements.

Nationwide aviation crisis

On December 19, 2025, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture held a decisive session to address the nationwide aviation crisis.

During the deliberations, the panel scrutinized the "evasive" responses from both the regulator and airline executives regarding the mass cancellations. To resolve the deadlock between safety and operations, the committee moved to form an Empowered Committee. This body was specifically tasked with assessing the pilots' demands for stricter FDTL norms and determining how to balance these fatigue-management requirements with the industry's logistical capacity.

Last week, a critical meeting took place between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the flight operations departments of India's major airlines—including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and AirAsia. The airlines are reportedly "nudging" the ministry for a permanent relaxation of the newly implemented Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) sections, arguing that the current standards are "unsustainable" for the future of Indian travel.

IndiGo’s Precedent and the February Deadline

The meeting follows a turbulent December in which IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, suffered a massive "operational meltdown," cancelling over 5,000 flights due to its inability to roster enough pilots under the new rules.

In response to that crisis, the DGCA granted IndiGo a temporary one-time exemption from specific night-duty rules, which is set to expire on February 10, 2026. During the recent meeting, other carriers reportedly argued that the challenges faced by IndiGo are industry-wide and require a more flexible, long-term regulatory framework.

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