Air India Requests DGCA To Extend Flight Duty Periods Due To Long-Haul Route Detours

Air India has approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) seeking temporary relaxation of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The request comes as airlines are increasingly forced to take longer diversionary routes to avoid restricted or high-risk airspace, which has put additional pressure on crew duty limits and operational planning.

According to a report by NDTV Profit, the Tata Group-owned carrier has requested permission to operate certain long-haul flights with a two-pilot crew instead of the standard three. In addition, Air India is seeking an extension of the maximum allowable flying time by about one hour and three minutes, raising the limit from 10 hours to approximately 11–11.5 hours. The airline has also proposed increasing the maximum Flight Duty Period (FDP) by 1 hour and 45 minutes, from 13 hours to 14 hours and 45 minutes.

The move follows disruptions caused by restricted airspace in parts of the Middle East and the continued closure of Pakistan airspace for Indian carriers. These factors have forced airlines to reroute flights over the Arabian Sea, Central Asia, and parts of Africa, significantly increasing flight times, fuel consumption, and crew workload. DGCA recently advised Indian airlines to avoid the airspace of 11 Middle Eastern countries, categorising them as high-risk zones, further complicating flight planning.

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For Air India, avoiding the skies of Iran and Iraq has added substantial block time to several long-haul routes, resulting in the cancellation of multiple flights this week due to operational constraints. Government sources told NDTV Profit that the airline’s proposal is currently under examination by the DGCA.

While the wider aviation industry is facing similar routing challenges, officials noted that the DGCA has not received a comparable request from rival carrier IndiGo. The regulator’s decision will be closely watched, as temporary relaxations could help maintain flight schedules and manage crew fatigue during the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.

Air India did not immediately respond to queries regarding the request or potential concerns about crew workload and fatigue. The outcome of the DGCA review is expected to influence operational planning for several long-haul routes in the coming weeks.

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