The Delhi High Court has stepped in amid concerns over pilot fatigue rules and airline safety.

On Friday, 30th January, the court issued a notice to the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on a plea challenging the relaxation of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms granted to IndiGo. Moreover, the petition questions the DGCA’s authority to suspend or dilute rest-related rules for pilots.

The plea argues that the aviation regulator wrongly kept FDTL norms in abeyance. It also sought an explanation for the sudden withdrawal of a rule stating that weekly rest cannot be replaced by leave. Furthermore, a Bench led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia has asked the Centre and DGCA to file their response within four weeks.

In its clarification, the DGCA said weekly rest norms remain mandatory and non-negotiable. It added that no airline has been given any relaxation on this front. Additionally, it also noted that the limited relaxation for night operations on IndiGo was valid only until 10th February.

The petitioners alleged that the fatigue-related relaxation was granted exclusively to IndiGo and was prima facie mala fide. They further pointed out that the exemption was issued on 5th December, 2025. This measure allowed the airline to deploy more pilots. As a result, IndiGo could stabilise operations after widespread flight cancellations earlier that month due to staffing constraints.

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