IndiGo gets temporary FDTL relief as mass cancellations hit major airports

New Delhi, Dec 5

India has relaxed airline pilots’ rest-period norms to stabilise the domestic flight network after IndiGo sought temporary exemptions to manage severe rostering disruptions linked to revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the airline has been struggling to plan duty rosters owing to multiple operational constraints, with Phase-II FDTL limitations emerging as the primary cause. 

In technical parlance, FDTL refers to Flight Duty Time Limitations, which prescribe duty hours, mandatory rest periods and flight-time restrictions for cockpit crew. 

The revised norms came into force on November 1, 2025.

On Thursday, IndiGo approached the DGCA seeking relief from specific clauses and assured the regulator that “normal and stable operations” would resume by February 10, 2026. 

Subsequently, the DGCA held consultations with airlines, pilot groups and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) before granting a limited exemption.

DGCA’s order

As per the regulator, the decision followed representations from IndiGo regarding “severe operational disruptions, including massive flight cancellations/delays and consequential passenger inconvenience”. 

The airline submitted that the disruptions stemmed from Phase-II FDTL limitations, particularly on night-duty restrictions and weekly-rest limits, which resulted in “significant crew availability constraints”.

Besides, IndiGo informed the regulator that it had not adequately anticipated the impact, and that insufficient crew-planning preparedness contributed to widespread disruption. 

The airline added that crew recruitment would be undertaken to meet required standards.

After deliberations with MoCA, the DGCA said it was “necessary, as a one-time measure” to stabilise the national aviation network. 

Accordingly, IndiGo has been granted temporary exemption for A320 fleet operations from night-duty and operations encroaching night duty limitations.

The regulator emphasised that the relaxation is solely for operational stabilisation and “shall not be construed as dilution of safety requirements”. 

However, the exemption will remain valid until February 10, 2026, subject to mandatory 15-day reviews based on operational data and compliance reports.

Conditions attached

Under the approval, IndiGo must submit a fortnightly progress report detailing crew utilisation, steps to enhance crew availability, operability improvements and revised rostering measures. 

Furthermore, the airline must provide a roadmap for full Phase-II FDTL compliance, including timelines for 100 per cent adherence within 30 days. 

IndiGo must comply with all other FDTL provisions, while the DGCA reserves the right to withdraw the exemption in the interest of safety.

Meanwhile, industry sources told businessline that the decision may “trigger friction” between the pilots’ union and the Centre.

On its part, the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) strongly objected to the exemption, calling it a “selective and unsafe dispensation” granted to IndiGo. 

In its representation to the regulator, the union said the relaxation undermines the spirit of the revised FDTL rules and “compromises scientifically established fatigue protections”. 

The association added that Phase-II already includes transitional relaxations and argued that further dilution creates a “dangerous precedent”, allowing operators to bypass safety limits based on commercial needs. 

ALPA maintained that such dispensations erode regulatory parity and place “millions of passengers at heightened risk”.

DGCA’s appeal

Separately, the DGCA issued an appeal urging full cooperation from all pilot bodies and associations in view of nationwide disruptions triggered by IndiGo’s operational constraints, unpredictable weather and rising seasonal demand. 

The regulator cautioned that fog conditions, the peak holiday period and the marriage-travel season would intensify pressure on the aviation network. 

It requested pilots to help maintain stable operations, minimise avoidable delays and ensure passengers are not further inconvenienced, while reaffirming its commitment to enforcing FDTL norms in letter and spirit.

Widespread cancellations across metros

According to a passenger advisory issued by Delhi Airport, IndiGo’s cancellations will remain in effect until midnight on December 5 (23:59 hours). 

on the other hand, operations for all other carriers continue as scheduled. Presently, IndiGo operates nearly 400 flights from Delhi, and airport teams are coordinating with partners to mitigate disruption.

At Chennai Airport, passengers were informed that IndiGo flights to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad with departures scheduled up to 1800 hours (6:00 p.m.) had been cancelled due to operational reasons. 

IndiGo requested that passengers booked on flights till 1800 hours be held at departure gates, as most base-flight passengers remained in the check-in and boarding area, the airport said in a statement.

In Bengaluru, IndiGo cancelled 102 flights on Friday — 52 arrivals and 50 departures — after cancelling 99 flights on Thursday, comprising 54 arrivals and 45 departures.

Additionally, at the Pune Airport, 16 IndiGo arrival and 16 departure flights were cancelled between 0000 hours (12:00 a.m.) and 0800 hours (8:00 a.m.) on December 5, 2025. 

The parking-bay congestion persisted as several IndiGo aircraft continued to occupy bays while awaiting crew availability, resulting in limited bay space and sequential delays to subsequent arrivals and departures across multiple carriers.

A day earlier, the airline had cancelled over 350 flights. 

In addition, it had informed the regulator that more cancellations would continue for the next two to three days as part of schedule-stabilisation efforts.

Published on December 5, 2025