IndiGo reports pilot availability, op stability ahead of FDTL deadline: DGCA

INdiGo has reported enough airplane pilot availability, assured operating(a) stableness, and no flight of stairs cancellations after February 10, as the deadline for the airline to abide by the New Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) approaches, the civil aviation regulator said after a weekly review meeting on Monday.“...IndiGo Airlines has reported adequate pilot availability against projected operational requirements,” a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) statement said. It added that the airline has 2,280 pilot-in-command and 2,050 first officers, or co-pilots.“During the meeting with DGCA on January 19 [Monday], IndiGo assured operational stability and no flight cancellations after February 10, 2026, based on the current approved network, crew strength, and the removal of the two FDTL exemptions approved on December 6, 2025,” the DGCA said.The DGCA granted IndiGo a one-time exemption from crew fatigue rules, as India’s biggest airline faced a meltdown that stranded tens of thousands of passengers and led to the cancellation of thousands of flights last month.The relief was granted from provisions limiting pilot duty hours at night until February 10, first announced in January 2024. The DGCA had insisted the exemption was granted “solely to facilitate operational stabilisation and in no way amounts to dilution of safety requirements”. It had said it would monitor IndiGo’s remedial measures and probe the reasons behind the disruptions.The IndiGo disruptions stemmed from mismanagement of adequate flight crew, inadequate regulatory preparedness at the operator level, and shortcomings in system software support, management structure, and operational control.The regulator had authorised IndiGo to redeploy pilots on deputation with DGCA as inspectors back to flying duties. It withdrew a rule that prevented airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest to meet flying duty norms.On Tuesday, the DGCA said that it will continue to closely monitor the airline’s operations, with particular emphasis on roster integrity, crew availability, buffer adequacy, system robustness, and adherence to FDTL requirements.From December 6 to December 30, Indigo was asked to submit daily operational reports covering critical parameters, including flight cancellations and delays, crew positioning and availability, crew leave and standby utilisation, system performance, and other operational Key Performance Indicators.The airline was asked to submit weekly and fortnightly reports on critical operational and manpower parameters, a Corrective Action Plan, outlining measures to ensure operational stability and full compliance with revised FDTL provisions.The enhanced reporting framework covered standby utilisation of the Airbus fleet, pilot training plans, and attrition forecasts, pending endorsements, command upgrades, and first officer hiring.The airline submitted pilot release timelines across all categories, required versus available pilot strength, fleet availability, including Airbus, ATR, and wet-leased aircraft.The DGCA said the IndiGo has submitted four weekly, three fortnightly reports, and participated in weekly review meetings with DGCA, providing updated data on all critical operational parameters. It added that the airline’s planning processes did not adequately identify operational deficiencies or maintain sufficient operational buffers, which led to the cancellation of at least 5500 flights in the first week of December 2025.“There was an overriding focus on maximising utilisation of crew, aircraft, and network resources, which led to reduced roster buffer margins,” the DGCA said. “Crew rosters were designed to operate at the limits of permissible duty periods, with increased reliance on dead-heading, tail swaps, extended duty patterns, and minimal recovery margins. This approach compromised roster integrity and operational resilience and adversely impacted the effective implementation of the revised FDTL provisions.”