Have sufficient pilots so no cancellations after Feb 10: IndiGo to DGCA

IndiGo has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it will not cancel any flights after February 10, when it will start implementing the full set of flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms, as it now has a sufficient number of pilots on its rolls.

 

On December 6, the DGCA placed certain FDTL rules in abeyance for IndiGo until February 10 to allow the airline to stabilise its operations following an operational meltdown in early December.

 

IndiGo cancelled 4,290 flights between December 1 and 9 after it fell short of pilots to implement the new FDTL rules, which introduced more humane working hours for crew and came into effect in November.

   

On Monday, the DGCA had a meeting with IndiGo, wherein the latter stated that it has an “adequate” number of pilots to meet its projected operational requirements. The airline reported that it would need 2,280 captains by February 10 and has 2,400 available, while it would require 2,050 first officers and has 2,240 on its rolls.

 

“During the meeting with the DGCA on Monday, IndiGo assured operational stability and no flight cancellations after February 10, 2026, based on the current approved network, above crew strength, and the removal of the two FDTL exemptions approved on December 6, 2025,” the regulator stated on Tuesday.

 

The DGCA’s revised FDTL rules entered their second and final phase in November 2025, bringing into effect seven clauses that had been deferred during the July 2025 rollout. Phase II tightened limits on how long pilots can fly or be on duty during the early-morning “window of circadian low” (roughly 2 am–6 am), when fatigue risk is highest.

 

For example, under the new FDTL rules, “night duty” is defined as any duty overlapping 12 am–6 am in the pilot’s local time. During such periods, flight time is capped at eight hours, total duty time at 10 hours (including pre- and post-flight tasks), and pilots are generally allowed no more than two landings.

 

The regulator mentioned on Tuesday: “The sustained regulatory oversight and corrective measures undertaken by IndiGo have resulted in stabilisation of operations and improvement in service reliability. The DGCA continues to closely monitor the airline’s operations, with particular emphasis on duty roster integrity, crew availability, buffer adequacy, system robustness, and adherence to FDTL requirements.”

 

The DGCA added that IndiGo faced major operational disruptions in early December due to mismanagement of crew, inadequate operational buffers, and shortcomings in systems, management, and operational control, which affected implementation of the revised FDTL.

 

To stabilise operations, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in coordination with the DGCA, allowed temporary operational exceptions and deployed inspectors and passenger facilitation teams at IndiGo’s Operations Control Centre and key airports from December 6 to 30.

 

During this period, IndiGo was required to submit daily, weekly, and fortnightly reports covering flight cancellations, crew availability, standby utilisation, pilot strength, training and hiring plans, fleet availability, and a corrective action plan to ensure operational stability and compliance with the revised FDTL provisions.