Pilots warn DGCA over flight duty rule delays

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Tuesday warned the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that any attempt to delay or relax the rollout of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations, known as CAR 2024, would amount to contempt of court and breach of a solemn undertaking given before the Delhi High Court.

The federation also demanded that the DGCA “immediately withdraw or rescind any communication, order, or instruction granting extension or relaxation to airlines in implementation of CAR 2024 (FDTL Regulations).” It also asked the regulator to “reaffirm in writing, within 48 hours,” that CAR 2024 will be implemented strictly as per the timeline affirmed before the High Court.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to the DGCA chief, FIP said the regulator is “bound by its own solemn undertaking and the directions of the Hon’ble Court,” and that any move to extend or modify the implementation timeline “would be contrary to law, in breach of judicial assurance, and tantamount to wilful disobedience of the Court’s orders.”

The federation, representing over 6,000 pilots and aviation professionals across India, referred to its writ petition Federation of Indian Pilots v. DGCA (W.P.(C) 616/2023) before the Delhi High Court, in which it had challenged the earlier version of the flight duty rules issued in 2019.

The Delhi High Court, through its orders dated February 24 and April 7 this year, recorded DGCA’s categorical assurance that the new CAR 2024 norms would take effect from July 1, 2025. Citing the affidavit filed by the DGCA on February 19, 2025, FIP reiterated that “the implementation of CAR 2024 will commence from 01 July 2025, and the Respondents are bound down to the timelines as set out in their affidavit dated 19 Feb 2025.”

The High Court had also made it clear that “in the event of any non-compliance, the Petitioners shall be at liberty to approach the appropriate forum albeit in accordance with law.”

FIP said any unilateral action by the DGCA to defer or modify the rollout of CAR 2024 would “undermine the sanctity of judicial proceedings and erode the confidence of stakeholders in the regulator’s adherence to the rule of law.”

The federation cautioned that failure to comply with its demand within the stipulated time “will compel FIP to initiate appropriate proceedings before the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi for wilful disobedience and contempt of court against the DGCA and the responsible officers.”