DGCA: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has withdrawn a key weekly rest clause for India’s airline crew, bringing crucial though limited relief for IndiGo and thousands of stranded passengers across the country’s airports.
What DGCA Changed?
The aviation regulator rolled back its recent instruction that barred airlines from substituting the weekly rest of pilots with leave. This gave more flexibility to carriers in roster management under the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. This move by DGCA came after several days of severe disruption, with IndiGo delaying or cancelling hundreds of flights because of a crew shortage that got aggravated by stricter rest rules.
Impact On IndiGo
IndiGo has been at the crisis’s centre, with more than 400-500 flights getting affected in a single day. On-time performance collapsed as crew and pilots struggled to meet the new fatigue norms. IndiGo admitted that inadequate planning during the phase of transition to the second phase of revised FDTL norms attributed to the meltdown. It warned that cancellations may continue to happen in the short term, even as steps are taken to stabilize operations.
Situation For Passengers
Passengers at most if not all) airports in the country have faced missed flight connections, night-long waits, and long queues. There has been little or no clarity on compensation or alternatives. Both DGCA and IndiGo have indicated that full normalization of flight schedules will take a while, which means that travellers should brace themselves for similar delays over the next few days.
Safety And Controversy
The weekly rest clause introduced by DGCA was originally meant to combat pilot fatigue. The rollback has been criticized by pilot unions saying this could dilute safety-focused norms. On the other hand, DGCA maintains that only the “no substitution” instruction has been withdrawn. The broader FDTL framework aimed at protecting crew rest and passenger safety remains in force.
