India’s aviation regulator has temporarily relaxed pilot flight duty time limitations (FDTL) for long-haul flights in response to ongoing global aviation disruptions.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended FDTL for long-haul operations to accommodate longer flying routes caused by airspace restrictions over the Gulf region.
In technical parlance, FDTL are regulatory norms that govern how long pilots and crew can be on duty, including total flight time and mandatory rest periods, in order to manage fatigue and ensure safety.
Under the temporary dispensation, flight time has been extended by 1 hour and 30 minutes to 11.5 hours, while the flight duty period has been increased by 1 hour and 45 minutes for select operations.
Besides, the relaxation provides flexibility in crew deployment, including permitting some long-haul flights to operate with two pilots and easing roster constraints.
Long-haul ops
The move has been applied to Air India’s long-haul operations and has a broader impact across Indian carriers operating international routes.
“It will be revisited — we still have some time, and of course it’s an evolving situation,” said Asangba Chuba Ao, Joint Secretary (Aviation), Ministry of Civil Aviation.
“As the situation evolves and as we take into consideration what happens in the coming days, this dispensation will be relooked at and, if required, we will take the necessary call at that point of time. It’s till the end of April as of now.”
As per industry insiders, the crisis in West Asia has forced airlines to take longer routes over the Red Sea and Egypt to reach destinations in Europe and North America.
These detours have resulted in higher fuel burn and longer flight durations, significantly increasing operating costs.
Earlier, India-based carriers had warned of potential flight cuts, fleet groundings, and job losses, citing mounting financial strain driven by high aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, a weak rupee, and high airport charges.
Before the disruptions, Indian airlines operated around 300–350 daily flights to the Gulf region.
This number has now dropped to approximately 90, with cancellations driven by the prevailing situation.
Published on April 7, 2026