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On the day Air India informed its cockpit crew of a diluted version of the rest and duty norms mandated by the Delhi High Court in April, set to take effect three days from now, and documents showed the DGCA had granted exemptions to some airlines, a pilots’ group called the move a “breach of law” and sought its immediate withdrawal.
At a townhall with pilots on Tuesday (October 28, 2025), Air India outlined a modified duty and rest schedule that deviates from the court-mandated scheme, allowing up to three landings for duties starting between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., instead of the two permitted by the court. Additionally, if the last flight due to delay spills beyond midnight, the court ordered cap of two landings has also been disregarded.
After a long legal battle, the Delhi High Court on April 7, 2025, ordered a phased implementation of revised duty and rest norms following complaints from pilots of mounting fatigue due to grueling rosters and increasing night flying.
Under the court’s directions, the first phase of revised duty norms, effective July 1, required increasing weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours. In the second phase, set to begin on November 1, new limits on night flying were to take effect, expanding the definition of night operations from the earlier midnight to 5 a.m. window to midnight to 6 a.m. During these hours, total duty time including pre- and post-flight tasks was capped at 10 hours, with no more than two landings permitted.
Documents reviewed by The Hindu show that the DGCA has authorised the above exemptions to the Air India Group airlines.
“The reported grant of extension to airlines amounts to a deliberate departure from the timeline affirmed before the Hon’ble Court, undermining the sanctity of judicial proceedings and eroding the confidence of stakeholders in the regulator’s adherence to the rule of law,” the Federation of Indian Pilots wrote in its letter to the DGCA, demanding that the exemptions be withdrawn within 48 hours failing which it would approach the court for “willful disobedience and contempt of court.”
It is reliably learnt that IndiGo too has been permitted up to three landings for duties reporting between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., along with relaxations for flights between midnight and 2 a.m., where the two-landing cap is no longer mandatory. These changes effectively shrink the definition of night duty of midnight to 6 a.m.
Pilots explain that staying alert during the Window of Circadian Low (WOCL) of 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. was challenging as cognitive performance drops to its lowest due to the body’s natural circadian rhythm.
An airline executive said that the relaxations were provided due to “operational challenges due to increase in layovers for crew”, adding that their rest timing was being enhanced for additional landings despite a reporting time between 5am and 6am.
The DGCA didn’t respond to queries on the exemptions granted to airlines, and whether these violated Delhi High Court order.
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