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Delhi High Court has sought explanations from DGCA and IndiGo over the deferment of revised pilot duty rules after December disruptions, examining whether safety norms were diluted or unevenly applied across airlines.
The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and InterGlobe Aviation, the operator of IndiGo, on a petition challenging the decision to defer the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules till 10 February, following widespread flight disruptions in December.
However, the court refused to issue notice to all airlines, as requested by IndiGo’s senior counsel, Sandeep Sethi, during the hearing.
A bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia asked the DGCA and IndiGo to explain why the new FDTL rules were kept on hold and what relaxations were given to the airline. The case is likely to be heard again after two weeks.
Court scrutiny
The court asked the regulator to clarify whether its November and December communications weakened mandatory weekly rest rules for pilots, allowed airlines to combine pilots’ leave with legally required rest, and whether IndiGo was given special, time-bound relaxations under the new rules.
The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by Sabari Roy Lenka and others. The petitioners argued that the DGCA does not have the power to suspend rules meant to ensure pilot safety and that the revised FDTL norms must be enforced equally for all airlines.
The issue began after the revised FDTL rules came into effect on 1 November. These rules reduced pilot duty hours and made it compulsory for pilots to get a continuous 48-hour weekly rest. During audits, the DGCA found that some airlines were treating pilots’ leave as part of their weekly rest.
To stop this, the DGCA issued a clarification on 20 November saying that leave cannot replace mandatory weekly rest.
However, when IndiGo faced staff rostering problems and flight cancellations in December, the DGCA gave it temporary relief till 10 February and removed the specific line from its November advisory that barred airlines from replacing weekly rest with leave.
The petitioners argued that removing this line created confusion and may allow airlines to once again mix leave with legally required rest.
Regulator defence
During the hearing, the DGCA told the court that it has not relaxed weekly rest rules for any airline and that mandatory rest for pilots is “non-negotiable” and applies to all carriers.
The regulator said confusion happened because several communications were issued during audits and while responding to airline requests during the December disruptions.
Bench concerns
However, the High Court questioned why the November advisory, which applied to all airlines, was partly withdrawn. The bench said that removing the ban on substituting leave for rest could take the rules back to older aviation requirements, which do not clearly regulate leave. This could allow airlines to combine leave with mandatory rest again.
The court also asked why one communication applied to all airlines while another was limited to IndiGo and for a fixed period, and whether this led to regulatory confusion or special treatment.
The revised FDTL rules, introduced in 2025, aim to improve flight safety by reducing pilot fatigue through stricter duty limits and longer rest periods, in line with global standards. When these rules took effect, IndiGo struggled to manage its schedules, leading to widespread flight disruptions.
To reduce passenger inconvenience, the DGCA temporarily kept parts of the new rules on hold while airlines adjusted.
The High Court has now given time to the DGCA and IndiGo to submit all relevant letters, audit reports and policy reasons on record.
English (US) ·