IndiGo disruption puts DGCA in focus: What it is and what it actually does

After IndiGo's mass cancellations, DGCA's one-time FDTL exemption has sparked fresh questions about who the regulator is, what it oversees, and how safety rules are drafted and rolled back

As IndiGo’s mass cancellations threw Indian air travel into chaos, the country’s aviation regulator quietly rolled back key parts of the very Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules that triggered the crisis. On Friday (December 5), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted airlines a “one-time temporary exemption” from the revised FDTL rules, after days of disruptions and hundreds of IndiGo flights being cancelled or delayed.

 

The change that had airlines up in arms — which increased pilots’ weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours and sharply reduced night landings — has been withdrawn for now, offering partial relief to IndiGo and other carriers. Earlier on Thursday, the Civil Aviation Ministry had also stepped in to review the situation with the airline and the DGCA after the meltdown left passengers stranded in Delhi, Mumbai and other airports.

   

But the latest drama has raised a few basic questions: What exactly is the DGCA, and who really calls the shots when such rules are made — and then reversed?

 

What is the DGCA?

 

The DGCA is India’s main civil aviation regulator. It is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and is described by the government as the regulatory body for civil aviation, “primarily dealing with safety issues” and responsible for enforcing air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards.

 

In 2020, Parliament amended the Aircraft Act, 1934 to give the DGCA formal statutory status, alongside the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The law says the DGCA will carry out “safety oversight and regulatory functions” for civil aviation, while remaining under the overall superintendence of the central government.

 

The DGCA also acts as India’s liaison with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), helping ensure that domestic rules broadly follow global safety standards. 

 

What does the DGCA actually do?

 

The DGCA’s functions are wide in scope.

 

• It is responsible for regulating air transport services to, from and within India.
• It is also in charge of enforcing civil air regulations and airworthiness norms for aircraft.
• It issues licences to pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers and other technical staff, and approves their training programmes.
• It certifies aerodromes and oversees standards compliance at airports.
• It is also entrusted with keeping watch on aircraft noise and emissions, in coordination with environmental authorities.
• It updates Indian rules and Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) to stay aligned with ICAO’s technical standards.

 

In everyday terms, the DGCA decides whether an airline can fly a particular aircraft, whether pilots are properly trained and rested, how maintenance is done, and whether safety systems at airports and airlines are up to the mark. It also publishes accident and incident data and runs a surveillance programme that inspects airlines, maintenance organisations and training institutions.

 

How is the DGCA structured?

 

The DGCA is headquartered opposite Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi and is currently headed by Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, an Indian Administrative Service officer, designated as Director General of Civil Aviation.

 

Under the Director General sit multiple specialised technical directorates, including airworthiness, air safety, air transport, operations, flight crew licensing, flight crew training, aerodromes, air navigation services, cabin safety, medical and drones, among others. These divisions draft and enforce detailed technical rules, issue approvals and conduct inspections.

 

The DGCA also operates regional airworthiness and air safety offices around the country to monitor airlines and maintenance facilities, and runs online platforms such as eGCA for pilot and operator services and Pariksha for examinations. 

 

Who really runs India’s aviation regulator?

 

On paper, the Aircraft (Amendment) Act and related documents make the lines of authority clear. The DGCA is a statutory body, headed by a Director General appointed by the central government. The Act states that “the administration of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation shall vest in the Director General,” but also that the “superintendence” of the DGCA rests with the central government, which can issue directions in public interest.

 

That creates a layered chain of command. Technical decisions, such as how many night landings a pilot should do in a week, are drafted inside the DGCA’s specialist divisions and issued as Civil Aviation Requirements. Airlines and pilot bodies are usually consulted. But big calls that affect capacity, costs or passenger disruption rarely remain purely technical for long.

 

The current FDTL episode illustrates that. Formally, the DGCA remains the safety watchdog but, in reality, its choices are shaped by a constant balancing act between safety standards, airline preparedness and the political pressure to keep the system running without large-scale disruption.