IndiGo Revises Pilots’ Pay Following Operational Meltdown, Prepares for FDTL Compliance

IndiGo, India's largest airline, has revised the pay structure for its pilots, an exclusive development reported on December 29, 2025, just days after the carrier faced a major operational meltdown that led to thousands of flight cancellations and widespread disruptions earlier in the month. The changes come as IndiGo works to fully comply with the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms by February 2026, following temporary exemptions granted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) amid the crisis. Sources indicate the pay adjustments aim to address pilot concerns, improve retention, and support better rostering under the stricter rest and duty rules that have strained operations.

The operational meltdown, which peaked in early December 2025, saw IndiGo cancel over 2,000–5,000 flights in the first half of the month, with daily disruptions affecting major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. The crisis stemmed primarily from the airline's failure to adequately prepare for Phase 2 of the updated FDTL regulations, effective November 1, 2025, which increased mandatory weekly rest to 48 hours (or 60 hours with multiple night duties), tightened night flying limits (initially capping landings at two per week), and imposed stricter fatigue management measures aligned with global safety standards.

Pilots' unions, including the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), attributed the chaos to years of lean manpower planning, a hiring freeze despite advance notice, attempts to buy back leave, and a prolonged pay freeze, rather than the norms themselves, which other airlines implemented without similar issues.

The DGCA responded by forming an inquiry panel on December 5, granting IndiGo a one-time waiver on certain night-duty provisions until February 10, 2026, and requiring fortnightly progress reports on hiring, rostering fixes, and compliance. The regulator also mandated schedule reductions and real-time monitoring to prevent fare spikes and ensure passenger support. While IndiGo cited factors like adverse weather, technology glitches, and winter schedule changes, critics pointed to a pilot shortage of over 200 and insufficient buffers as the core issues. The pay revision is seen as part of broader efforts to boost morale and attract talent amid ongoing recruitment drives to meet the new norms fully.

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This development highlights the ongoing tensions in India's aviation sector between cost efficiencies, safety regulations, and operational reliability. As IndiGo stabilizes its schedule and ramps up pilot hiring, the pay changes could help mitigate future disruptions, particularly during the ongoing winter fog season and peak travel periods. The airline continues to face scrutiny, with the DGCA emphasizing that full adherence to FDTL is essential for long-term safety and passenger confidence in the wake of one of the most significant operational crises in recent Indian aviation history.

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