The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has defended its decision to extend the duty time for two-pilot Boeing 787 Dreamliner operations of Air India, citing longer flight paths to European countries following the closure of Pakistan's airspace.

The aviation watchdog's clarification came in response to a letter written by the Airlines Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) seeking to withdraw the flight duty time extension for two-pilot Boeing 787 Dreamliner operations.

“The exemption has been accorded based on specific operational reasons cited on flights impacted by longer routing due to Pakistan airspace closure, primarily arising from anticipated changes in wind patterns during the winter months, which may marginally increase flight time on certain sectors," the aviation regulator said.

The flight duty time limit for Air India's Boeing 787 two-pilot crew operations has been extended from 10 hours to 10.30 hours, and the 13-hour flight duty period to 14 hours, specifically in those cases where the flight time and duty period increase after departure.

Saying this was a one-time exemption to Air India for a limited number of flights operated on the Boeing 787 fleet to Europe during winter, the DGCA asserted that the exemption is restricted to only nine flights on the B787 European sectors.

The airlines have been directed to give an hour of extra rest to the crew operating these flights.

The ALPA India managing committee is currently reviewing the response. Last week, the pilots’ association urged the aviation regulator to withdraw its decision immediately, saying flying long routes with restricted rest capability increased the chances of fatigue-induced errors.

Referring to the Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, the association underlined that extending duty hours rather than mandating additional crew raised serious questions about prioritising flight safety over operational costs and convenience.