Airlines seek FDTL relief as West Asia conflict lengthens flight routes

• Escalating West Asia conflict forces airlines to take longer international flight routes, increasing operational pressure.
• Airlines have approached DGCA for temporary exemption from pilot duty time (FDTL) regulations.
• Air India requested extending flying time cap from 10 to 11.5 hours and Flight Duty Period from 13 to 14.75 hours for affected flights with two pilots.
• Sudden route changes make it difficult to anticipate augmented crew needs, leading to requests for operational flexibility.
• An IndiGo London-Mumbai flight diverted to Cairo, hitting FDTL limits and delaying its journey by a day for mandatory crew rest.