What are FDTL Rules? Check The Reason Behind 1,000+ Flights Cancelled

India's FDTL rules, updated by the DGCA in January 2024, include mandates for longer rest and stricter caps on night operations to reduce pilot fatigue. However, when these were fully implemented, IndiGo and others caused an industrywide spate of flight cancellations and delays. 

More than 1,000 IndiGo flights were axed in four days at the start of December 2025, slicing on-time performance to 35% as winter schedules kicked in amid crew shortages. The DGCA responded with temporary relaxations, including exemptions on night landings and weekly rest distinctions.

What are FDTL Rules?

• FDTL controls pilots' duty and flight time, including limitations on night landings and rest, to reduce fatigue risk in accordance with global norms. 

• The important proposed changes from Phase II, to be enforced from November 1, 2025, will see an increase in weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours continuously, night duties redefined from 00:00-06:00 (earlier 00:00-05:00), night landings per pilot reduced from six to two, and not more than two consecutive nights of duties. 

• Airlines will have to submit quarterly fatigue reports and arrange for rostering accordingly.

These updates came after DGCA's reviews on fatigue incidents, coupled with court directives, prioritized safety over operational ease. As per pilots' body ALPA India, such norms protect lives and help reduce error-prone fatigue.

Reasons for Schedule Disruptions

• The rules collided with IndiGo's high-volume winter schedules, pilot shortages, and technical glitches such as A320 software snags, resulting in a domino effect on delays and cancellations. IndiGo operates 2,300 flights a day and recorded 7 per cent cancellations over 48 hours; Delhi bore the maximum brunt, with all 235 flights being axed one day. 

• Crew planning gaps translated into fewer available pilots for peak hours, forcing proactive cuts to avoid mid-duty fatigue violations.

• The airlines found it tough to transition, needing more pilots or rescheduling without buffers for winter fog and surges in demand. This in turn exposed broader sector vulnerabilities as on-time performance slumped across Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

DGCA's Response and Relaxations 

Facing chaos, DGCA eased norms twice in 24 hours: first by extending the maximum flight hours from 12 to 14 and then putting the "no leave substitutes weekly rest" rule in abeyance and permitting leave to count as rest. To IndiGo, it gave a one-time exemption until February 10, 2026, allowing up to six night landings and more consecutive night duties, while allowing 15-day reviews. The so-called "conditional measures" were basically attempts at restoring stability with least denting of safety. Pilot unions also criticized these selective relaxations as unsafe and called for uniform enforcement. DGCA plans further monitoring to strike a balance between safety and operations.

Implications for Aviation Safety and Passengers FDTL enhancements reduce fatigue-related risks-the top global aviation concern-but abrupt rollout highlighted the understaffing of airlines. Passengers faced long queues and stranded travel; advisories were issued by airports like Delhi. In the long term, the airlines need to hire more pilots and optimize their rosters; IndiGo announced frequency cuts starting from December 8.

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