The Association of Indian Airlines Pilots (ALPA India) has urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) not to relax flight time limit (FDTL) norms, warning that repeated relaxations by airlines have weakened fatigue safeguards and could jeopardize aviation safety.
In a letter dated May 1, the pilot body said frequent exemptions granted to airlines had effectively become the norm, allowing registrations at or near regulatory limits without adequate safety barriers.
This comes two days after two pilots died of heart attacks. An Air India pilot died on Wednesday in Bali during a scheduled rest, while an Air Acasa pilot died during training in Bengaluru.
“We write to record a range of concerns that directly impact aviation safety, regulatory credibility, and the well-being of flight crew, particularly in light of the recent deaths of pilots this week. These issues arise in the context of the court-imposed Flight Time Limits (FDTL) framework and the continued postponement of its full implementation. Continued granting of changes to operators has materially weakened the intent of the FDTL regulations,” ALPA said in the letter.
“These variations, originally designed as transitional measures, have effectively become the norm. This defeats the purpose of the Fatigue Management Framework and perpetuates scheduling practices that operate at or near regulatory boundaries without adequate safety barriers. In this regard, the DGCA is requested to initiate a structured and time-bound program of gradual withdrawal of all such variations, culminating in the full and uniform implementation of the FDTL provisions across operators. A clearly defined roadmap, with a defined endpoint,” the letter said: “The variations will provide certainty.” Regulatory and operational clarity.”
The pilot body also cited concerns about reduced weekly rest periods, decreased acceptance of fatigue reports, and a lack of transparent data on pilot health and safety indicators. “Available information obtained through RTI indicates a worryingly low rate of acceptance of fatigue reports by (airline) operators. These trends are inconsistent with the principles of a fair safety culture and undermine fatigue risk management systems,” the letter, which was signed “MayDay!” “2026” By ALPA India President Captain Sam Thomas, he said.
In the letter, ALPA requested that airlines be authorized to submit quarterly fatigue report data in a standardized format.
The pilots authority proposed “putting this data in the public domain through routine publication on the DGCA website; and subjecting acceptance rates, trends and corrective actions to regulatory review and audit.” “Transparency in this area is essential. Fatigue reporting metrics should serve as a useful indicator of operational safety and enable informed oversight by all stakeholders, including the traveling public,” she said.
The letter highlighted the introduction and operational abuse of back-to-back night missions, saying: “Recent aviation incidents reinforce the need to ensure that flight crew not only comply with limits, but are also well rested and operationally fit.”
The association said that any reconsideration or relaxation of the East Timor Defense Forces framework adopted at this stage “would be difficult to justify.”
“The regulations have been drafted after due process and consultation with stakeholders. Reopening established standards – especially without demonstrable new safety data – risks conveying that regulatory outcomes are vulnerable to external pressures. Therefore, any such initiatives by operators should be categorically rejected.”
ALPA noted previous instances where the aviation sector witnessed operational disruptions due to crew shortages, which affected the country. “This underscores the importance of ensuring that commercial considerations do not override safety imperatives. The availability of a large pool of aspiring pilots cannot be construed as a basis for legitimizing exploitative practices or for relaxing fatigue safeguards… The safety of human life must remain of paramount importance and non-negotiable in all aviation operations,” ALPA said.
