New DGCA FDTL Rules Hit IndiGo Hardest Across Airlines

(INDIA) India’s aviation regulator’s new safety rules on Flight Duty Time Limitation have pushed IndiGo into one of the worst operational crises in its history, triggering more than 1,200 cancellations and leaving thousands of passengers stranded across the country just as the busy winter travel season begins.

In December 2025, after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) fully enforced its revised Flight Duty Time Limitation, or FDTL, framework, IndiGo’s network started to unravel. The carrier, India’s largest by market share, had already reported 1,232 cancellations in November 2025, with crew and FDTL constraints responsible for 755 of those flights. The real shock came on December 2 and 3, when the airline axed more than 150 services and its on‑time performance fell to 19.7 percent on one day, with departures at major hubs such as Delhi and Mumbai slumping to about 35 percent.

What the FDTL rules require

The FDTL rules limit how long pilots and cabin crew can remain on duty, covering:

• Pre‑flight checks
• Ground duties
• Turnaround work
• Time in the air

Regulators worldwide treat fatigue as a direct safety threat. The DGCA cited research suggesting tired pilots can lose up to 50 percent of their performance capacity, sharply increasing the risk of serious incidents. By tightening night‑time duties and total hours across a given period, the rulebook aims to force airlines to design schedules that keep crews rested rather than stretched.

Why IndiGo was hit hardest

While every Indian carrier must respect the same framework, IndiGo’s business model and planning choices meant the impact landed hardest on this single airline.

• The company operates more than 2,200 domestic and international flights a day — roughly twice the daily volume flown by Air India.
• At that scale, even a 10–20 percent disruption translates into hundreds of cancellations and missed connections.
• Millions of travellers — including migrant workers, students, and families — rely on IndiGo’s lower fares for visa appointments and onward international flights.

IndiGo’s long‑standing strategy focused on high‑frequency rotations and heavy overnight flying to keep aircraft utilisation high and fares low. That model depended on intense night operations, which the new FDTL regime no longer allows without larger standby crews and adjusted rostering.

Accusations from pilot unions and preparedness failures

According to the Airline Pilots’ Association of India, the crisis was not simply bad luck. The union has accused IndiGo’s management of:

• Adopting a hiring freeze
• Entering non‑poaching pacts with rival carriers
• Keeping pilot pay frozen

The union described these moves as “cartel‑like behavior” and “short‑sighted planning practices.” These choices came even though the industry had almost two years to prepare before the DGCA’s full FDTL enforcement took effect.

The DGCA instructed airlines to rebuild rosters at least 15 days in advance to match the new limits. IndiGo is said to have started that process too late and with too few crew members in the pipeline.

Passenger impact

For passengers, the result has been days of confusion and disruption:

• Long queues at airport counters
• Last‑minute scrambles to rebook critical journeys
• Missed visa appointments, college reporting dates, and family reunions
• Especially acute problems for travellers with connecting tickets to the United States (🇺🇸) and Canada (🇨🇦), where domestic legs on IndiGo collapsed while international sectors on other airlines continued to run

Analysts at VisaVerge.com warn that travellers often underestimate how a domestic cancellation can cascade into issues with return permits, study deadlines, or work contract start dates.

The DGCA has opened a formal investigation and summoned IndiGo’s senior leadership to present detailed mitigation plans within 48 hours.

Officials can impose schedule curbs or financial penalties if they find the airline breached duty‑time norms or failed to protect passenger rights. The regulator is also reviewing how India’s Civil Aviation Requirements on disruption handling were applied, including when airlines must provide meals, hotel rooms, or rebooking support during large‑scale cancellations.

How other airlines coped

Other Indian airlines fared better after the rule change:

• Air India and Akasa Air provisioned extra pilots and adjusted networks earlier.
• Those carriers were able to respect the new duty limits without dramatic cuts.

This contrast supports pilot groups’ argument that robust planning, not the content of the FDTL rules alone, explains IndiGo’s troubles.

Regulator stance and safety rationale

The DGCA, whose guidance is published on its website, defended the tougher FDTL stance as a non‑negotiable safety measure. Officials argue that short‑term disruption is preferable to the risk posed by exhausted pilots operating dense schedules across India’s crowded skies.

Safety campaigners note that India’s rapid growth in both domestic and international traffic makes it essential to lock in strong rest rules before aggressive scheduling habits become entrenched.

What IndiGo needs to do next

For IndiGo, the immediate priorities are likely to include:

1. Revising network scheduling to reduce reliance on heavy night‑time banks
2. Hiring and training additional crew
3. Building larger standby pools of pilots and cabin crew
4. Improving passenger communication and considering compensation beyond minimum requirements

Passengers are watching to see whether IndiGo will offer remedial measures that go beyond the minimums to address stress and financial losses caused by the mass cancellations.

Broader implications

Behind the numbers is a wider debate about how far low‑cost carriers can push utilisation of aircraft and people in a market where safety regulators are tightening standards. The episode serves as a reminder that:

• Safety rules can have substantial short‑term disruption costs
• Advance planning and investment in crew resources are critical for resilience
• Air‑travel reliability can affect immigration, study, and work plans for foreign nationals basing themselves in India

This crisis highlights the trade‑off between maximising aircraft and crew utilisation to keep fares low and the need to adhere to stricter fatigue management rules aimed at protecting passenger safety.