IndiGo managing director Rahul Bhatia has called for a review of India’s pilot flight duty time rules, saying these norms erode cockpit productivity, inflate airline costs and make the country’s aviation sector “uncompetitive” compared with global peers

“I think Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) needs a review, and I think there’s enough conversation going on with the government. All we want to do is appeal to the government that we must follow the global best practices,” Bhatia told PTI in an interview.

These remarks are one of the airline’s strongest public criticisms of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which came into force in November 2025 and contributed to widespread flight disruptions at IndiGo during last year’s peak travel season.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) implemented the revised FDTL norms in phases last year to reduce pilot fatigue.

The rules increased mandatory weekly rest from 36 hours to 48 hours, capped night flying by limiting night duty and the number of night landings, and revised duty period calculations to account for circadian rhythm and fatigue. Airlines had argued the changes would require more pilots and increase operating costs, while pilot associations backed the norms as a long-pending safety measure.