IndiGo’s exemptions on pilot rest periods – flight duty time limitation (FDTL) – expire today. The airline was given temporary exemptions after its compliance with FDTL norms triggered an operational collapse leading to cancellation of over 5,500 flights, leaving around 3 lakh passengers stranded in airports. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) penalised the airline with Rs 22.2 crore for its operational collapse.
According to a report in Hindustan Times, IndiGo has increased its crew buffer from zero in December to 3 per cent in February, as well as raised its pilot-to-aircraft ratio. Government officials told the daily that they are expecting minimal flight disruptions due to FDTL violations, and that a review of the airline showed that they were on track.
IndiGo’s rostering plans have shown that it has increased its ratio of pilot crews to aircraft while expanding reserve pilot strength and maintaining a hiring pipeline to offset attrition, said the daily. There are seven crew sets per aircraft, based on “1,862 daily flights and a block per trip day of 3.99 hours”, an official told the daily. In December, when the airline was faced with the crisis, it had fewer than six crew sets per jet.
Crew buffers that represent surplus pilot capacity beyond the minimum requirement for scheduled flights have also been increased to 3 per cent, as per the report.
The airline had hired 100 trainee first officers in January and has planned training for 20 pilots a month, and around 75 first officers in alternate months.
WHY WAS INDIGO FINED BY DGCA?
The DGCA took enforcement action against IndiGo and its senior management after a regulatory inquiry found multiple violations that led to widespread flight disruptions. The regulator imposed a total penalty of Rs 22.20 crore and ordered systemic reforms, citing lapses in crew scheduling, operational control, and regulatory compliance.
A four-member committee appointed by DGCA found that IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 others, marking one of the most disruptive episodes in Indian civil aviation. The investigation identified over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, system software deficiencies, and management shortcomings as key causes.
The inquiry reported that IndiGo failed to maintain sufficient operational buffers while transitioning to revised FDTL norms. Crew rosters were structured to maximise duty periods, with increased reliance on dead-heading, tail swaps, extended duty patterns, and minimal recovery margins, leaving the airline vulnerable to cascading disruptions.
Senior management was criticised for not anticipating the impact of the Winter Schedule 2025 or implementing the new FDTL provisions in a timely manner. DGCA responded by issuing warnings and initiating action against key officials of InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo’s parent company.
The regulator issued a caution to the Chief Executive Officer for inadequate oversight of flight operations and crisis management. The Accountable Manager and Chief Operating Officer were warned for failing to assess the implications of the winter schedule and revised duty time regulations.
More sharply, the Senior Vice President of the Operations Control Centre (OCC) was relieved of operational responsibilities and instructed not to be assigned any accountable position, citing failures in systemic planning and delayed compliance. Warnings were also issued to the Deputy Head-Flight Operations, AVP-Crew Resource Planning, and Director–Flight Operations for lapses in manpower planning and roster management.
