Delhi High Court Issues Notice To DGCA On Delay In Pilot Rest Rules

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regarding a petition challenging the delay in enforcing the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) rules.

The rules, meant to regulate pilot rest periods, were temporarily relaxed for IndiGo after operational issues in December. For Air India’s long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights, the extension remains until March 31, with airlines seeking further extension. The petition, filed by former aircraft engineer Sabari Roy Lenka, argued that the DGCA cannot keep rules aimed at managing pilot fatigue in abeyance, as they directly affect passenger safety. A division bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the rules must be implemented unless formally challenged.

The court noted Lenka has a valid interest in the matter and posted the case for further hearing on Thursday. The DGCA had opposed the petition, citing ongoing related proceedings before a single judge.