Delhi HC Seeks DGCA Reply on Pilots’ Contempt Plea
Court to Examine Alleged Dilution of New Pilot Fatigue Norms
- Delhi High Court issues notice to DGCA on Indian Pilots Guild’s contempt petition
- Pilots allege relaxations to airlines violate CAR 2024 fatigue norms
- DGCA defends exemptions, cites statutory powers under Aircraft Act
- Matter listed for further hearing on April 17
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th Dec: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on a contempt petition filed by the Indian Pilots Guild, alleging non-compliance with court-approved flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms aimed at addressing pilot fatigue.
Justice Amit Sharma issued notice to the aviation regulator and asked it to file its reply, listing the matter for further hearing on April 17. The petition alleges that airlines were granted extensions, exemptions and relaxations in violation of the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) 2024 framework, despite earlier directions of the court.
The pilots’ association contended that the new FDTL norms were introduced to ensure effective fatigue management of flight crew and enhance passenger safety. However, by approving non-compliant duty schedules and granting relaxations, the DGCA has allegedly acted in wilful disregard of the court’s orders and jeopardised aviation safety.
Opposing the contempt plea, counsel for the DGCA submitted that the court had not frozen the contents of the CAR. While implementation timelines were binding, the regulator retained statutory powers under the Aircraft Act and related rules to grant limited, case-specific and temporary exemptions, subject to review.
Earlier, the DGCA had informed the court that the revised FDTL norms would be implemented in a phased manner. Of the 22 clauses in CAR 2024, 15 came into effect from July 1, while the remaining provisions are scheduled to be implemented from November 1, 2025. The norms provide for enhanced rest periods for pilots amid growing concerns over fatigue.
The issue has been under judicial scrutiny following petitions filed by pilot bodies, including the Indian Commercial Pilots Association and the Federation of Indian Pilots. In November 2025, the Federation of Indian Pilots had also moved a separate contempt petition, accusing the DGCA of allowing airlines relaxations contrary to the agreed timelines and assurances given to the court.
The high court will now examine whether the regulator’s actions amount to non-compliance of its earlier directions.
