IndiGo has informed aviation regulator DGCA that it is putting in place all required operational, rostering and monitoring mechanisms to ensure full adherence to revised pilot duty norms, after facing regulatory action over large-scale disruptions in December.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday outlined the airline’s preparedness, a day after the temporary exemption granted to IndiGo under the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms came to an end.
The regulator said excessive optimisation of operations, lack of regulatory preparedness, gaps in system software support and weaknesses in management structure and operational control were among the main factors behind the disruptions. Following this, DGCA had reduced IndiGo’s winter schedule by 10 per cent.
The airline had cancelled 2,507 flights between December 3 and 5, prompting DGCA to allow limited relaxations in implementing the revised FDTL norms until February 10.
In its statement, DGCA said IndiGo has conveyed that it “shall be fully prepared to comply with the statutory provisions and to implement the approved FDTL scheme dated October 9, 2025 upon expiry of the exemptions.”
The airline also stated that all necessary operational, rostering and monitoring arrangements are being put in place to ensure complete compliance with the approved FDTL scheme from February 11, 2026, the regulator said.
The exemptions were related to pilots’ night duty time and night landings. DGCA said these relaxations were granted to stabilise flight operations and were subject to specific conditions, including submission of hourly operational data and weekly or fortnightly performance reports.
IndiGo’s domestic market share fell to 59.6 per cent in December from 63.6 per cent in November. The carrier currently operates about 2,200 flights a day.
During the exemption period, DGCA said flight operations were closely monitored through regular review meetings, while its officials were stationed at several airports to oversee passenger handling and mitigate inconvenience.
Flight Operations Inspectors were also deployed at IndiGo’s Operations Control Centre for real-time monitoring to ensure continuous regulatory oversight, the statement added.
On January 20, DGCA said sustained oversight and corrective steps had helped stabilise IndiGo’s operations and that the airline now has sufficient pilots to comply with the new duty norms without disruption.
Based on IndiGo’s submissions, the regulator said the airline had 2,400 Pilots in Command against a requirement of 2,280, while the number of First Officers stood at 2,240 versus a requirement of 2,050.
On Tuesday, an IndiGo spokesperson said, “that as assured to the regulatory authorities earlier, the airline is maintaining an optimum pool of employees, including pilots, to ensure stable operations across its network.”
Following the December disruptions, DGCA cut IndiGo’s winter schedule by 10 per cent and, after investigation, imposed penalties totalling Rs 22.20 crore. The regulator also asked the airline to furnish a Rs 50 crore bank guarantee to ensure compliance and long-term systemic corrective measures.
In addition, DGCA issued warnings to IndiGo’s senior management over lapses in oversight, planning and implementation of the revised FDTL norms, ordered the removal of the concerned SVP from operational responsibilities, and directed the airline to submit a compliance report.
