NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted IndiGo a temporary one-time exemption from two critical provisions of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) after the airline reported severe operational disruptions, including large-scale cancellations and delays, due to crew shortages triggered by Phase-II implementation of the new norms.
According to DGCA’s official order, IndiGo faced massive network instability following the enforcement of Para 3.11 — which restricts night duties between midnight and 5 am — and Para 6.1.4, which limits operations that encroach into the night duty period.
These provisions, part of the revised FDTL Civil Aviation Requirements issued in March 2024, reportedly led to significant constraints in crew availability for IndiGo’s A320 fleet.
During meetings with the regulator, IndiGo acknowledged that the primary cause of the disruption was its inability to anticipate the full impact of Phase-II FDTL limitations.
The airline admitted that its crew planning, rostering systems, and preparedness were inadequate, resulting in widespread flight disruptions across its network. IndiGo also accepted responsibility for the inconvenience caused to passengers and informed DGCA that fresh crew recruitment was underway to meet compliance standards in the coming weeks.
After detailed consultations with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA concluded that a temporary relaxation was necessary to stabilise India’s aviation network and restore normal passenger services.
The regulator subsequently granted IndiGo a one-time exemption from Para 3.11 and Para 6.1.4 of the revised FDTL norms, specifically for A320 operations. DGCA stated that the exemption is intended solely to facilitate operational stabilisation and should not be interpreted as a dilution of flight safety requirements.
The exemption will remain valid until February 10, 2026, and will be reviewed every 15 days based on IndiGo’s operational performance, compliance reports, and crew utilisation data.
DGCA has also imposed strict conditions on the airline, requiring it to submit fortnightly updates detailing improvements in crew availability, steps taken for stabilisation, and changes implemented in planning and rostering.
Additionally, IndiGo has been directed to submit, within 30 days, a comprehensive roadmap outlining its plan to achieve 100 percent compliance with FDTL Phase-II norms. DGCA has made it clear that all other provisions of the FDTL CAR remain fully in force and that the regulator reserves the right to withdraw the exemption at any time if safety is compromised.
The order, issued by Himanshu Srivastava, Assistant Director of Operations (Flight Standards Directorate), emphasised that the approval is a temporary facilitative measure aimed at alleviating ongoing disruptions and ensuring the continuation of essential air services across the country.
