DGCA's FDTL relaxation to IndiGo could open the door for rival airlines

On December 4, the DGCA had directed IndiGo to submit a detailed proposal outlining the specific relaxations it requires to normalise flight operations. The airline has been forced to scale back parts of its network in recent weeks as the new fatigue-management rules—covering rest periods, night-duty windows and cumulative flying limits—have constrained crew availability and disrupted rotations.

According to people familiar with the matter, Air India and Air India Express have also decided to approach the DGCA seeking temporary flexibility in implementing the norms. Executives say that if FDTL relaxations are granted to the country’s largest airline, other carriers will naturally seek equal treatment to maintain competitive parity.

“It cannot be that the norms get relaxed for just one company. It is natural for other airlines to ask for the same to make it fair for everyone,” said an executive at a leading airline, requesting anonymity because the discussions are not public.

While the two Tata-owned carriers are preparing formal submissions, the situation varies across the sector. Akasa Air, according to industry sources, has not faced operational disruption so far under the revised rules. The airline’s crew rostering model and stage lengths have allowed it to remain compliant without major schedule changes, and it has not taken any decision on seeking relaxation.

SpiceJet is unlikely to be materially impacted either. Close to half of the carrier’s fleet is currently wet-leased, meaning the foreign operators flying those aircraft are governed by their own jurisdictions’ crew regulations. As a result, the FDTL framework applied to Indian carriers has limited bearing on SpiceJet’s day-to-day operations, and the airline is expected to remain neutral on the question of whether the DGCA should ease norms.

Sector executives say that if the regulator grants any concessions, it will have to ensure a level playing field. Carriers argue that uneven application of duty-time rules would distort scheduling flexibility, cost structures and route planning at a time when airlines are operating with tight capacity and high utilisation.

As per IndiGo's submissions with the DGCA earlier, the disruptions at the airline have arisen primarily from misjudgment and planning gaps in implementing Phase 2 of the FDTL CAR, with the airline accepting that the actual crew requirement for the new CAR exceeded their anticipation.

From December 8 onwards, IndiGo will reduce its flight operations to minimize disruption.

For now, DGCA officials have maintained that safety-linked provisions are non-negotiable, though they have left the door open for operational feedback and structured submissions from airlines. The regulator is expected to examine IndiGo’s proposal once submitted, but any relaxation is likely to trigger follow-on requests from other carriers seeking comparable treatment.

The coming weeks may therefore test the balance between fatigue management and operational flexibility in Indian aviation, with the DGCA weighing industry concerns against the broader regulatory shift toward stricter safety oversight.