For many passengers puzzled by the term “FDTL" amid IndiGo’s large-scale flight cancellations, the acronym has suddenly become hard to ignore. Yet behind those four letters lies a central pillar of aviation safety in India: the limits on how long a pilot may work, how much rest they must receive and how many overnight services an airline can operate.

All of these areas have recently undergone a significant overhaul by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

What FDTL Covers

Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) set the boundaries for a pilot’s working day and the rest that must follow. These regulations set the length of a pilot’s duty from reporting to sign-off and define how many hours they can fly. They also place limits on late-night and early-morning operations and ensure a

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