The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) withdrew its new weekly roster norm on pilot rest after widespread disruptions hit IndiGo, India’s largest airline.
The rule, part of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), mandated that weekly rest could not be substituted with leave. However, the regulation immediately triggered crew shortages at IndiGo, which operates more than 2,200 flights daily—nearly double the number of Air India.
As a result, IndiGo cancelled more than 1,000 flights in just four days. On Friday alone, Delhi Airport reported 13 departures and 90 arrivals cancelled. Furthermore, Bengaluru recorded 52 arrivals and 50 departures scrapped, while Hyderabad saw 92 cancellations. In addition, the airline suspended all flights from Delhi until midnight and from Chennai until 6 p.m.
DGCA officials explained that the decision followed multiple representations from airlines seeking stability in operations. “In view of the ongoing operational disruptions and representations received from various airlines regarding the need to ensure continuity and stability of operations, the instruction contained in the referenced paragraph that no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,” the notification stated.
Originally, DGCA introduced the rule to address pilot fatigue concerns. Nevertheless, gaps in planning ahead of its implementation created severe crew shortages, which ultimately disrupted IndiGo’s schedules.
Consequently, passengers across major airports—including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru—faced cancellations and delays. Moreover, other airlines also experienced ripple effects as airport operations struggled to cope with the chaos.
