What is the story about?
Federation of Indian Pilots has raised concerns with the aviation regulator over temporary extensions to pilot duty limits, warning the move could increase
fatigue and compromise flight safety. In a letter dated 15 March 2026, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to reconsider recent relaxations in Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for certain Air India international operations. The association said the changes allow longer duty periods for two-pilot crews without augmentation. Earlier Times Now reported that Air India sought temporary permission to exceed pilot duty limits due to closure of Iran & Iraq airspace, following which the aviation regulator granted the request after examining it.
Duty Time Extension Under Scrutiny
According to the letter, the regulator permitted temporary variations to FDTL rules to address operational disruptions caused by international airspace restrictions and rerouted flight paths. These disruptions have increased flight times on several long-haul routes.
FIP said the relaxation allows flight time to be extended by 1 hour 30 minutes and the total flight duty period by 1 hour 45 minutes for two-pilot operations. The association said that such increases, particularly without additional crew members, heighten the risk of fatigue-related performance decline.
The body cited research referenced in guidance from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which indicates that pilot alertness and cognitive performance can drop significantly when duty periods approach or exceed 13 hours.
Concerns Over Circadian Fatigue
The pilots’ federation also warned that longer duty periods may overlap with the Window of Circadian Low (WOCL) — typically the early-morning hours when human alertness naturally declines.
During these periods, pilots may still be required to manage complex tasks such as weather deviations, fuel planning due to rerouting, and precision approaches into busy airspace, the letter said.
Another concern raised by FIP is that the temporary relaxation appears to place no explicit limit on the number of flight sectors or landings within the extended duty period. The union warned this could result in pilots performing critical phases of flight, such as approach and landing, at the end of already prolonged duty hours.
Aircraft Design Limitation Highlighted
The federation also referenced a technical issue involving the Boeing 787 cockpit seat configuration. A directive issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in February 2024 required seat-position limitations to prevent interference with a cockpit decompression panel.
FIP writes, ‘The Federation also wishes to highlight operational limitations associated with the Boeing 787 flight deck seat design. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Airworthiness Directive dated 06 Feb 24 (copy attached) after identifying a condition in which the flight deck door decompression panel could strike the captain’s seat headrest if the seat is positioned beyond a specified limit during a decompression event. In response, operational documentation including the Boeing 787 Flight Crew Operations Manual (FCOM) incorporated seat position limitations ensuring adequate clearance for the decompression panel’.
FIP said these restrictions limit how far the captain’s seat can recline during cruise, reducing the ability of pilots to achieve meaningful rest on long flights — an issue that becomes more critical when duty periods are extended.
Longer Routes After Airspace Restrictions
The association noted that rerouting has already increased block times on certain long-haul sectors. For example, pilots operating the Delhi–Amsterdam route are logging duty periods of 11 hours 44 minutes, according to the letter.
While several such flights currently use augmented crews, the temporary regulatory deviation would allow them to be operated with only two pilots under extended duty provisions, the federation said.
While operational efficiency is understandable, operating extended sectors with minimum crew complement—particularly when augmented crew operations are currently not being utilized and adequate crew resources exist—shall increase fatigue exposure and reduce operational safety margins, the letter added.
Call for Review and Mitigation
FIP has asked the DGCA to review the temporary relaxation and consider mitigation measures such as crew augmentation, fatigue monitoring systems, and consultation with pilot representative bodies.
“Effective fatigue management remains one of the fundamental pillars of aviation safety,” the federation said, adding that any relaxation of duty limits should be carefully evaluated to ensure operational challenges are addressed without compromising safety margins or crew wellbeing.
