The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that the last seven clauses of India’s revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) came into force on 1 November 2025, completing a two-phase reform that began in July.
Key changes now live include a guaranteed 48-hour weekly rest period, tighter caps on cumulative duty hours, and mandatory 10-hour rest after leave. The final tranche also harmonises sunrise/sunset scheduling for carriers operating out of the eastern “early-sunrise” sectors such as Guwahati. Airlines must file fatigue-risk-management reports monthly; non-compliance attracts penalties up to ₹1 crore per occurrence.
![India Fully Enforces Relaxed Pilot Duty-Time Rules, Boosting Flight-Safety Margin]()
Why it matters for mobility managers: India’s domestic aviation market is forecast to handle 480 million passengers annually by 2030, with corporate travel accounting for nearly a quarter. Fatigue-related disruptions—delays, diversions, and last-minute crew substitutions—cost businesses millions in missed connections. Early implementation data from July–October show a 17 % drop in pilot self-reported fatigue events on major carriers.
Although carriers warn of a short-term 2–3 % capacity squeeze, analysts expect schedules to stabilise by the winter 2025/26 timetable. Companies should audit their travel-policy SLAs with preferred airlines and factor possible rescheduling windows into time-sensitive itineraries, especially for same-day international connections out of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The DGCA also granted a narrowly-tailored winter exemption for Air India’s Boeing 787 Europe routes affected by Pakistan airspace detours, illustrating the regulator’s willingness to balance safety with operational realities. However, such exemptions require additional rest credits, underscoring that fatigue management is now a board-level compliance issue for Indian carriers.
Key changes now live include a guaranteed 48-hour weekly rest period, tighter caps on cumulative duty hours, and mandatory 10-hour rest after leave. The final tranche also harmonises sunrise/sunset scheduling for carriers operating out of the eastern “early-sunrise” sectors such as Guwahati. Airlines must file fatigue-risk-management reports monthly; non-compliance attracts penalties up to ₹1 crore per occurrence.
Why it matters for mobility managers: India’s domestic aviation market is forecast to handle 480 million passengers annually by 2030, with corporate travel accounting for nearly a quarter. Fatigue-related disruptions—delays, diversions, and last-minute crew substitutions—cost businesses millions in missed connections. Early implementation data from July–October show a 17 % drop in pilot self-reported fatigue events on major carriers.
Although carriers warn of a short-term 2–3 % capacity squeeze, analysts expect schedules to stabilise by the winter 2025/26 timetable. Companies should audit their travel-policy SLAs with preferred airlines and factor possible rescheduling windows into time-sensitive itineraries, especially for same-day international connections out of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The DGCA also granted a narrowly-tailored winter exemption for Air India’s Boeing 787 Europe routes affected by Pakistan airspace detours, illustrating the regulator’s willingness to balance safety with operational realities. However, such exemptions require additional rest credits, underscoring that fatigue management is now a board-level compliance issue for Indian carriers.
