Delhi High Court questions DGCA pilot rest
Analysis based on 6 articles · First reported Jan 30, 2026 · Last updated Jan 30, 2026
The India — Delhi High Court's questioning of the India — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)'s indefinite relaxation of pilot rest norms creates uncertainty for the aviation industry, particularly for IndiGo, which benefited from these exemptions. This could lead to increased operational costs for airlines if stricter norms are reimposed, and potentially impact investor confidence in the sector due to regulatory instability and safety concerns.
The India — Delhi High Court is scrutinizing the India — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)'s (DGCA) decision to indefinitely relax new norms regarding weekly rest and leave for pilots. This follows a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Sabari Roy Lenka, Aman Monga, and Kiran Singh, who allege that the relaxation was illegally granted, primarily benefiting IndiGo, and was prima facie mala fide. The India — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India) had issued the exemption on December 5, 2025, after IndiGo cancelled hundreds of flights due to its unpreparedness to implement stricter Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) that came into effect on November 1, 2025. The India — Delhi High Court has questioned the rationale behind the indefinite nature of this relaxation, especially when a separate relaxation for night duty norms granted to IndiGo was time-bound until February 10, 2026. Concerns about public safety due to pilot fatigue have been highlighted, with petitioners arguing that the India — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India) failed to enforce uniform fatigue regulations as mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The India — Delhi High Court has directed both the India — Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India) and IndiGo to file their responses within two weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for April 2026.
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