IndiGo’s pilot rest waiver expires today: Are disruptions coming? What the airline has changed

The temporary exemptions provided to IndiGo from certain Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) requirements expire today, February 10, and the government expects minimal flight disruption.

The airline has increased its crew buffer from zero in December to about 3% in February and improved its pilot-to-aircraft ratio, reported Hindustan Times, citing people familiar with the matter.

The crisis in December saw IndiGo cancel more than 5,000 flights and draw a record ₹22.2 crore penalty from aviation regulators.

Aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted IndiGo temporary relief on December 6, allowing the airline to breach night-duty restrictions until February 10.

The DGCA said IndiGo’s rosters had been designed to operate at the limits of permissible duty periods, with heavy reliance on measures such as dead-heading, tail swaps and extended duty patterns.

This, the regulator said, reduced recovery margins and affected the effective implementation of the revised FDTL norms aimed at reducing pilot fatigue.

“In view of the scale of disruption and in the interest of the travelling public, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)... initiated immediate stabilization and enhanced oversight measures,” the DGCA

The regulator added that certain temporary operational exceptions were permitted strictly in public interest without compromising safety.

At the weekly review meeting held on January 19, IndiGo reported adequate pilot availability against projected operational requirements.

As per data shared with the regulator, the airline requires 2,280 Airbus commanders and 2,050 Airbus first officers as on February 10, 2026, against an available strength of 2,400 and 2,240, respectively.

According to HT, crew buffers have risen to about 3% this month, while standby crew levels have been raised to a minimum of 15%.

“We are expecting minimal flight disruptions due to FDTL violations,” HT quoted a senior government official as saying.

Another official said a review of IndiGo’s operations was conducted on February 6 and that the airline is “on track”.

CCI probe

Meanwhile, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered a detailed probe against IndiGo for unfair business practices.

In a 16-page order, CCI said that by cancelling thousands of flights, which constituted a significant portion of the scheduled capacity, IndiGo effectively withheld its services from the market, creating an artificial scarcity, limiting consumer access to air travel during peak demand.

The CCI said passengers were effectively left with no viable alternatives due to IndiGo’s dominant market position, forcing many to accept higher fares after last-minute cancellations.

“By cancelling thousands of flights constituting a significant portion of the scheduled capacity, IndiGo effectively withheld its service from the market, creating an artificial scarcity,” the commission observed.

“Such conduct by a dominant enterprise may be viewed as restricting the provision of services under Section 4(2)(b)(i) of the Act,” it added.

Section 4 of the Competition Act pertains to abuse of dominant position.