Chaos at Airports: Government Keeps FDTL in Abeyance, Normalcy in Flight Operations Expected by Monday
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 5: Amidst flurry of cancellation and inordinate delay in flights, particularly by the private carrier IndiGo, and frustration and anger writ large on the faces of stranded passengers, the government on Friday decided to keep in abeyance the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) orders that has caused the disruptions in the flight schedules due to shortage of pilots.
The government has also decided to institute a high-level inquiry into the disruptions that left thousands of passengers stranded at various airports across the country following mass cancellation of IndiGo flights. More than 400 flights were cancelled on Friday morning alone causing chaotic conditions at the airports with some of the flights facing delays up to 12 to 18 hours with many passengers complaining of misplaced baggage.
“The inquiry will examine what went wrong at Indigo, determine accountability wherever required for appropriate actions, and recommend measures to prevent similar disruptions in the future, ensuring that passengers do not face such hardships again,” it added.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also cleared IndiGo’s plea for exemption from night-duty limits for pilots. It has also eased the flight duty norms by allowing substitution of leaves with a weekly rest period.
In a press statement on Friday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said it has taken urgent and proactive measures to address the ongoing disruption in flight schedules, particularly those of IndiGo Airlines. “The Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) orders of the DGCA have been placed in abeyance with immediate effect. Without compromising on air safety, this decision has been taken solely in the interest of passengers, especially senior citizens, students, patients, and others who rely on timely air travel for essential needs.”
Pilots’ body Airlines’ Pilots Association (ALPA) India promptly took “strong” objection to safety regulator DGCA’s “selective and unsafe” relief to IndiGo saying the decision sets a dangerous precedent. In a letter to the DGCA on Friday, ALPA-India said the decision not only sets a “dangerous precedent” but also undermines the very principle and purpose of the civil aviation requirement under which the norms have been formulated.
It also said on the pretext of passenger inconvenience, IndiGo is seeking relief despite having knowingly increased their winter operations while being fully aware of the implementation of the second phase of the pilots’ flight duty and rest period norms.
IndiGo’s on-time performance plummeted to 8.5% on Thursday, with worsening operational disruptions impacting flight schedules. Citing several operational measures that have been directed to ensure that normal airline services are restored at the earliest, the Civil Aviation Ministry said it expected s flight schedules to stabilise by Saturday and restored normalcy by Monday.
Civil Aviation Ministry also established control room to monitor flight cancellation situation. “The Ministry of Civil Aviation has established a 24×7 Control Room (011-24610843, 011-24693963, 096503-91859) that is monitoring the situation on a real-time basis to ensure swift corrective action, effective coordination, and immediate resolution of issues as they arise,” the Ministry said in a statement.
To support passengers in light of mass delays and cancellations, the Civil Aviation Ministry has instructed airlines to provide regular and accurate updates through enhanced online information systems, enabling passengers to monitor real-time flight status from their homes.
It told the airlines that in case of any flight cancellations, the airlines will issue full refunds automatically, without the need for passengers to make any requests. Passengers who are stranded due to prolonged delays will be provided hotel accommodation arranged directly by the airlines. Special priority is being accorded to senior citizens and differently abled. They will be provided lounge access and every possible assistance to ensure that their travel experience remains comfortable. Furthermore, refreshments and essential services will be provided to all passengers affected by delayed flights.
To identify the causes of flight disruptions, the ministry constituted a four-member committee which would submit its finding and recommendation to DGCA within 15 days. It is expected to identify the underlying causes leading to widespread operational disruptions, assess the adequacy of manpower planning, fluctuating rostering systems, and implementation preparedness, review the extent of compliance with the revised FDTL provisions, including analysis of gaps admitted by the airline, ascertain the accountability and responsibility for planning failures that led to the breakdown of operational stability and also assess whether the airline is taking adequate steps for restoration of flight operations.
Issuing a statement on Friday, when cancellations by IndiGo crossed a record 500 flights for the second day running, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu justified the suspension of certain provisions of FDTL aimed at ensuring pilots and crew get adequate rest. Mr Naidu said this was done in the interest of passengers and safety would not be compromised.
“In addition to this, several operational measures have been directed to ensure that normal airline services are restored at the earliest and that the inconvenience caused to travellers is significantly reduced. Based on the immediate implementation of these directives, we expect that flight schedules will begin to stabilise and return to normal by tomorrow. We anticipate that complete restoration of services will be achieved within the next three days,” the minister said.
Addressing how passengers will be helped, Naidu said airlines have been instructed to provide regular and accurate updates so that real-time flight status can be known before flyers leave their homes. Refunds, he stressed, will be issued automatically, without passengers having to follow up, and hotel accommodation will be arranged by airlines for flyers stranded for long durations.
Keeping the FDTL rules in abeyance, the DGCA said, “… in view of the ongoing operational disruptions and representatives from various airlines regarding need to ensure continuity and stability of operations, it has been considered necessary to review the said provision.” The DGCA also offered an exemption – till February 10 – for night-time flights, but said the airline must face a review every 15 days and present a 30-day roadmap to show “full compliance” with the rules.
Today’s revisions to the FDTL norms mean airlines do not have to differentiate between leave and weekly rest when rostering pilots and flight crew. Therefore, a pilot granted earned leave for 48 hours, for example, will now be considered as having also had a ‘weekly’ rest, as mandated by the new rules.
This is the second and third adjustment the DGCA has made to its FDTL norms in less than 24 hours; last night the cap on the number of consecutive hours a pilot can fly was extended from 12 to 14. IndiGo’s flight ops – the largest in India with over 2,200 daily domestic and international services – have been decimated over the past four days because of a shortage of pilots and flight crew.
IndiGo admitted Wednesday it had misjudged the number of pilots needed under new FDTL, or Flight Duty Time Limitations, rules that mandate increased rest periods (from 36 to 48 hours in a seven-day period) and reducing the number of consecutive hours a pilot can be on duty.
The first phase of these regulations kicked in on July 1 and the second on November 1. The cumulative effect meant, quite simply, that IndiGo did not have the pilots or crew to operate hundreds of flights; those listed as ‘on duty’ in earlier rosters were not allowed to fly.
The sheer size of the airline’s operations – in normal conditions it runs over 2,200 domestic and international flights daily – and a large number of overnight services has added to the chaos. The new FDTL rules also cap night-time flights.
The airline has sought an exemption from these rules till February 10, 2026, to give it time to hire more pilots and crew, and stabilise its operations. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has warned staff (and customers) restoring services and pre-chaos levels of punctuality “will not be easy.” He also apologised to the IndiGo passengers and said the airlines was working “diligently” with the government and the DGCA to “reduce the cascading impact of these delays and restore normalcy.”
