The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told the Delhi High Court on Friday that it has not granted any relaxation to any airline company when it comes to allowing weekly rest to airline pilots..The DGCA told a Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia that weekly rest of pilots is non-negotiable and the mandate to allow the same continues to operate.“Weekly rest is non-negotiable, and it cannot be tampered with. No relaxation has been given to any of the airlines. We have not withdrawn it. This statement can be there that weekly rest remains in operation,” DGCA counsel Anjana Gosain stated. She added that only some relaxation has been given specifically to Indigo Airlines regarding night operations. This relaxation is also only till February 10, Gosain clarified..The Bench was dealing with a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Sabari Roy Lenka and other litigants alleging that the DGCA decided to keep the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules in abeyance following massive disruptions to airline services. The petitioners moved the Court contending that DGCA does not have the authority to keep the rules in abeyance and, therefore, the rules must come into force. The DGCA introduced the revised norms in 2025 to improve safety by limiting pilot duty hours, increasing rest periods, and reducing night landings, aligning with global fatigue-risk standards.However, when these stricter rules took effect, IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, struggled to comply, triggering widespread flight cancellations and delays in December 2025. To reduce passenger disruption, the DGCA placed certain provisions of the rules in abeyance temporarily and granted some exemptions until early February 2026 to Indigo. .The petitioners then moved the High Court seeking directions to restrain airlines from calling themselves low-cost as there is no statutory definition, classification or legal recognition of a “Low-Cost Airline” under the Aircraft Act, 1934, the Aircraft Rules, 1937 or any Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR). Further, the said that action should be taken against Indigo for failing to provide facilities like free meals, refreshment and hotel accommodations for flight cancellations. The Court today issued notice to the Central government, DGCA and Indigo and sought their responses to the plea.The matter will be heard again after four weeks..Advocates Shiv Prakash Pandey and Sharmistha Choudhary appeared for the petitioners. .Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.
