Both IndiGo and Air India say they will implement the revised duty and rest period for pilots in a phased manner from June 2025. The pilots’ bodies—the Indian Pilots Guild, Indian Commercial Pilots Association, and Federation of Indian Pilots—have told the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that they want the new Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) to be fully implemented at the earliest. This comes after December 6, when Delhi High Court gave a directive to the DGCA to consider the implementation of the rules by early 2025.

The MoCA analyst said, “The delay behind implementation of the new  Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTLs) can be attributed to the immediate shortage of pilots that will be created once the new norms are in force. Airlines will have to hire more pilots to overcome this shortage, which will need some time.” mid-day accessed the submissions made by airlines to the DGCA in which both IndiGo and Air India have agreed to switch to the revised norms but have stated that they will be unable to do so before June 2025.