A black Friday for aviation safety in India

Source: The post “A black Friday for aviation safety in India” has been created, based on “A black Friday for aviation safety in India” published in “The Hindu” on 08th December 2025.

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper-3-  Economy

Context: The suspension of the DGCA’s revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) on December 5, 2025, in order to address Indigo’s flight disruptions, highlights a systemic failure to prioritise aviation safety in India. This demonstrated how commercial and operational pressures continue to override essential safety regulations.

Dilution of Flight Safety Norms

1. The DGCA’s 2007 Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) on fatigue management was formulated as a strong safety measure, but it was repeatedly suspended due to pressure from airline owners.
2. The Ministry’s intervention in 2008 and again in 2025 shows that safety regulations are often diluted to address commercial concerns rather than operational realities.
3. Despite being aware for over a year that the new FDTL norms would take effect from November 1, 2025, both Indigo and the DGCA failed to prepare adequately, resulting in widespread disruptions and subsequent rollback of safety norms.

Commercial Interests Overriding Safety

1. The public statement by the Aviation Minister indicated that operational stability was being prioritised over essential fatigue management norms for pilots.
2. Indigo’s decision not to hire sufficient crew, despite knowing the upcoming requirements, reflects a deliberate focus on commercial savings at the cost of safety margins.
3. The dilution of FDTL directly increases the risk of fatigue-related errors, indicating that passenger safety is being compromised to maintain schedules and profitability.

Regulatory Apathy and Structural Weakness

1. The DGCA’s CAR Series C Part II (2022), which mandates only three sets of crew per aircraft, provides airlines with an opportunity to understaff operations while remaining formally compliant.
2. Safe domestic operations require at least six sets of pilots per aircraft, and long-haul operations require at least 12 sets, indicating that existing regulations are inadequate to ensure safety.
3. The DGCA has consistently demonstrated weak enforcement capacity and often acts according to ministerial directives rather than safety imperatives.
4. Judicial inconsistency—such as the Bombay High Court first criticizing and later upholding the dilution of safety norms—further weakens the aviation regulatory framework.

Challenges in India’s Aviation Safety Framework

1. Regulatory Challenges: India faces regulatory capture because the DGCA functions under direct ministerial control, which compromises its autonomy and ability to enforce safety norms.
   1. Airlines frequently operate with inadequate pilot and cabin crew strength, leading to chronic fatigue and degraded safety performance.
2. Institutional Challenges: India lacks a strong safety culture because operational pressures consistently take precedence over compliance with safety protocols.
   1. Transparency is compromised when accident investigation reports, such as the AI 171 Ahmedabad report, are delayed, thereby preventing timely corrective action.
   2. Legal oversight is weakened due to the absence of dedicated aviation expertise within the judiciary.
3. International Compliance Challenges: ICAO’s recommendation for an independent civil aviation authority, made in 2006, has still not been implemented, indicating a long-standing gap in aligning with global best practices.

Implications for Aviation Safety

1. The dilution of fatigue management norms increases the likelihood of pilot error and raises the risk of major aviation accidents.
2. India risks damaging its international reputation as a safe aviation market, which could affect global partnerships and operational approvals.
3. Passenger confidence may decline due to frequent disruptions and perceptions of unsafe regulatory practices.
4. The long-term sustainability of India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector is jeopardised if safety continues to be compromised.

Way Forward

1. Strengthening Regulation: India must establish an independent civil aviation safety authority that functions autonomously from the Ministry to ensure unbiased and safety-centric decision-making. The DGCA should reinstate and strictly enforce the revised FDTL norms, ensuring that fatigue management becomes non-negotiable.
2. Improving Staffing and Operational Standards: The regulations on minimum crew strength should be revised to mandate at least six sets of pilots for domestic operations and twelve sets for long-haul operations. Airlines must be required to conduct periodic fatigue risk assessments and demonstrate compliance through transparent operational audits.
3. Enhancing Safety Culture: A strong safety culture must be built by encouraging pilots and crew to report fatigue without fear of retribution. Regular training on fatigue risk management should be made mandatory for both operational and managerial personnel.
4. Enhancing Accountability and Transparency: Accident investigation reports must be published in a timely, transparent manner to enable the adoption of safety lessons. Penalties for non-compliance with safety norms should be strengthened to ensure that airlines cannot treat violations as mere operational costs.
5. Strengthening Judicial and Oversight Mechanisms: The judiciary should consider establishing specialised aviation benches or advisory panels to ensure informed adjudication of aviation-related cases.

Conclusion: The events of December 5, 2025 underscore a deeper crisis in India’s aviation safety ecosystem, wherein commercial interests, regulatory weakness and institutional complacency continue to undermine passenger safety. India must adopt a decisive, reform-oriented approach to restore credibility, strengthen safety oversight and ensure that aviation safety is treated as an uncompromising national priority.

Question: The suspension of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms in December 2025 exposes deep structural flaws in India’s aviation safety governance. Discuss the factors leading to this situation, the challenges it highlights, and suggest a way forward.