Amid IndiGo flight chaos, DGCA swings into ACTION, removes rule that stopped airlines from giving weekly rest to…, stops pilots from…

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday relaxed an important rule for airline staff as IndiGo’s ongoing crisis continued to cause major flight cancellations and long delays across the country. In a new order, the aviation regulator said it would temporarily remove the rule that stopped airlines from giving weekly rest by using a crew member’s accumulated leave. This rule had made it difficult for airlines to manage pilot and crew schedules during the crisis.

The DGCA said the change was being made “because of the current disruptions” and after receiving requests from several airlines that needed more flexibility to keep flights running. With this relaxation, airlines will now have extra room to adjust their crew schedules and try to bring operations back to normal, especially as they deal with a shortage of pilots and cabin crew.

“In view of the ongoing operational disruptions and representations received from various airlines regarding the need to ensure continuity and stability of operations… the instruction contained in the referenced paragraph that no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,” the DGCA said.

The DGCA has also given IndiGo a special one-time permission to ease some night-duty rules so the airline can bring its heavily disrupted schedule back on track. Under normal rules, a pilot can make only two night landings, but the regulator has now allowed IndiGo pilots to make up to six. This is a major relaxation of the usual Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).

The DGCA has also lifted the rule that stops pilots from doing more than two night shifts in a row. For now, IndiGo pilots can work more consecutive night duties than before.

These relaxations apply immediately and will stay in place until February 10. The regulator said the situation will be reviewed every 15 days to ensure safety and stability.

Why did DGCA take this step?

The DGCA’s rule change came at a time when IndiGo, the country’s biggest airline, was facing major disruptions. Over the last few days, the airline cancelled hundreds of flights, leaving thousands of passengers stuck at airports in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.

Just a few hours before the new rules were announced, IndiGo had already cancelled all flights leaving Delhi until midnight and all flights from Mumbai until 6 PM. Several flights from Chennai were also called off. The airline’s operational collapse has put huge pressure on the entire aviation system, leading to higher ticket prices and heavy crowding at major airports.