FIP demands Indian Ministry withdraw FDTL safety waivers for IndiGo and Air India.

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has formally requested the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation to immediately revoke all dispensations and variations granted to major carriers, including IndiGo and Air India, concerning Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations. FIP stressed that FDTL norms, which align with ICAO Annex 6 standards, are a “safety necessity” designed to prevent pilot fatigue and enhance passenger safety, warning that repeated relaxations compromise aviation standards. The pilots' body highlighted that the revised FDTL rules (CAR 7/J/III Rev 2), mandated by the Delhi High Court in March 2024, are crucial for reducing fatigue-linked errors.

FIP noted that the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) began granting significant FDTL relaxations in late 2025, even before the second phase of the new rules took effect. These dispensations included altering the night duty definition and modifying rest period requirements for IndiGo, and extending flight duty limits and permitting additional night landings for Air India. The situation intensified following IndiGo's mass cancellations of nearly 6,000 flights in December 2025. In response, the DGCA granted IndiGo further extraordinary relief, including placing the entire new FDTL CAR in abeyance until February 2026.

FIP strongly contested the narrative that the cancellation crisis was caused by adherence to the new FDTL rules or a pilot shortage. The federation asserted that the chaos stemmed from a “total failure of the system,” alleging that aircraft and crews were available but flight dispatch authorization was withheld. FIP disputed claims of widespread pilot shortage across the major carriers and urged systemic reforms, including linking schedule approvals to confirmed manpower availability, increasing DGCA oversight, and involving pilot bodies in future regulation-making to ensure safety is never compromised for commercial interests.