Delhi HC Questions DGCA's Decision to Delay Pilot Fatigue Safety Rules

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that once safety regulations are framed, they must be enforced unless they suffer from legal infirmities or are successfully challenged.

"Unless the regulations are challenged or have an inherent flaw, they have to be enforced. These regulations have a direct nexus with safety measures. The concern raised in this petition cannot be brushed aside," the Bench orally remarked.

The Court was hearing a petition filed by Sabari Roy, a former aircraft engineer, along with Aman Monga and Kiran Singh. Roy has strong technical expertise and extensive hands-on experience in aircraft maintenance and operations. Monga is an experienced Crew Resource Management (CRM) trainer, while Singh is a social worker. The petitioners have questioned the DGCA's decision to pause the implementation of the revised FDTL norms till February 10, 2026.

The FDTL regulations prescribe minimum rest periods for pilots and flight crew members and aim to strengthen fatigue management to ensure passenger safety.

The DGCA had put the norms on hold following widespread flight disruptions, particularly after operational difficulties at IndiGo, which led to large-scale flight cancellations in late 2025.

During the hearing, the respondent raised objections to Roy's locus standi, pointing out that a separate petition concerning the same FDTL norms, filed by pilots' associations, is already pending before a Single Judge of the High Court.

However, the Division Bench was not inclined to reject the petition at the threshold. It noted that Roy's professional background as an aircraft engineer directly connects her role with aviation and passenger safety.

"She has worked as an aircraft engineer. Her functions are directly connected with passenger safety. Her locus cannot be ruled out outrightly," the Court observed, adding that the pendency of a similar plea before a Single Judge would not bar others from raising public interest concerns.

"It is a matter of public interest. A plea before a Single Judge will not debar others from approaching the Court," the judges said.

The Court thereafter directed Advocate Anjana Gosain, appearing virtually for the DGCA, to seek instructions and place the aviation regulator's stand before the Court on January 29.

The petition highlights that the revised FDTL regulations were notified to align Indian aviation safety standards with international norms prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and to reduce pilot fatigue. It contends that keeping the norms in abeyance compromises passenger safety and undermines the very objective for which the regulations were framed.

- ANI