Air India has requested the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a temporary relaxation in Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms due to increased tensions in the Middle East. The airline, owned by the Tata Group, is seeking permission to operate certain long-haul flights with a two-pilot crew instead of the standard three. Additionally, they have asked for an extension in maximum flying time.
The airline has specifically sought a one-hour and three-minute increase in permissible flying time, which would raise the limit from 10 hours to about 11–11.5 hours. Air India has also requested an extension of the maximum Flight Duty Period (FDP) by 1 hour and 45 minutes, increasing the cap from 13 hours to 14 hours and 45 minutes.
Due to restricted airspace in certain regions and the continued closure of Pakistan airspace for Indian carriers, airlines are being forced to take longer detours over the Arabian Sea, Central Asia, and parts of Africa. These diversions are significantly lengthening flight times, leading to higher fuel consumption and additional pressure on crew duty limits.
The DGCA has advised Indian airlines to avoid the airspace of 11 Middle Eastern countries, considering them high-risk zones. Air India, in particular, has had to alter its long-haul routes to avoid the skies of Iran and Iraq, resulting in substantial block time additions and the cancellation of multiple flights this week due to operational constraints. The regulator is currently examining Air India’s proposal, while no similar request has been received from rival carrier IndiGo.
Air India has not yet responded to queries regarding the request and potential concerns related to crew fatigue, as per the report. The wider aviation industry is grappling with similar routing disruptions, but the DGCA has not received a comparable request from IndiGo at this time.
