IndiGo flight cancellations force DGCA U-turn on pilot rest rule

India’s civil aviation regulator withdrew its instruction on Friday that prohibited airlines from substituting pilots’ leave—casual, sick, or earned—with weekly rest, easing pressure on duty rosters.

This effectively means that if a pilot takes a day off or a 24-hour leave, the airline can adjust it against their weekly rest requirement.

Simply put, 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.

The move offers partial relief to all airlines, particularly IndiGo, which is grappling with one of its most severe operational disruptions following the rollout of the new flight duty time limitations (FDTL) norms.

A win for airlines

The withdrawal ends an 11-month period of turmoil that began on 20 January 2025, when the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a strict rule stating that “no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest”.

The instruction meant that even a single day of sick, casual, or earned leave in a week rendered the entire weekly rest requirement non-compliant, even if the crew member had multiple consecutive off days. Airlines argued that the provision severely hampered operational stability and, paradoxically, heightened fatigue risks during disruptions.

On Friday, the regulator said it found it necessary to review the provision to support smoother airline operations. According to the DGCA, the decision to reverse the clause was taken “in view of the ongoing operational disruptions and representations received from various airlines regarding the need to ensure continuity and stability of operations”.

Since 1 November—when the new pilot weekly rest rules, night-duty definition, and night-landing relaxations came into effect—IndiGo, India’s largest budget carrier by market capitalization, has recorded more than 1,550 flight cancellations (as of 4 December).

Cancellations continued on Friday. The airline cancelled all Delhi departures until midnight, creating a significant capacity crunch on domestic routes. The operational breakdown has triggered ripple effects across the aviation network, leading to fare spikes and congestion at major airports.

The earlier weekly rest had to be a fixed mandatory period that could not be swapped or covered using leave. Now, pilots’ leave can be counted as weekly rest, giving airlines greater flexibility in roster planning, according to Gagan Dixit, senior vice president-oil and gas and aviation, full-service securities firm Elara Securities.

“The regulator is not rolling back the fundamental FTDL norms; the weekly rest requirement remains. It has only softened the implementation, striking a balanced approach that eases IndiGo’s operational crunch while keeping the broader safety framework intact,” he told Mint.

In poor light

However, pilots differ.

The entire approach—beginning with flight cancellations to adjusting weekly rest limits—is indicative of pressure tactics taken by an airline to arm-twist the regulator. There was no need for pilot safety, said captain Sam Thomas, president, pilot union ALPA India.

“It is unfortunate. Pilot fatigue is a genuine concern that is being overlooked again. Airlines, particularly one player, are forcing a change in regulations, and the regulator is acceding to it. The airlines knew the rules were coming, and trial runs of different roster arrangements were stimulated and run through before flight schedules were sent to the DGCA,” he said.

Mark D. Martin, aviation safety consultant and chief executive at Martin Consulting, said the U-turn shows the DGCA in “very poor light”. “It is unethical, the way in which safety is being overlooked. And IndiGo used their size and network reach to their advantage. The DGCA is also being seen as easy to manipulate.”

Agreed, Sanjay Lazar, aviation safety specialist and CEO of Avialaz Consulting. “It appears that the office of the DGCA has, in one swoop, unilaterally amended its own directions by reversing the clause that leave shall not be counted toward weekly rest.”

This signifies a permanent change to CAR (civil aviation requirements) on FDTL at the behest of airlines, after the CAR was settled in the high court, he added. “It paints the Indian aviation regulator in a poor light, as being malleable to airlines’ pressure. This also allows airlines to manipulate rosters around pilots’ leaves and pressurize pilots into surrendering leave for a monetary pittance.”