NEW DELHI, India — Air India has asked India’s aviation regulator to temporarily relax flight duty regulations as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East force airlines to operate longer diversionary routes, according to a media report Thursday.
The Tata Group-owned carrier has approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation seeking adjustments to Flight Duty Time Limitation rules that govern how long pilots can operate flights, NDTV Profit reported.
Air India has requested permission to operate some long-haul flights with two pilots instead of the standard three and to extend the maximum permissible flying time.
According to sources cited in the report, the airline is seeking an increase of about one hour and three minutes in allowable flying time, raising the limit from roughly 10 hours to between 11 and 11.5 hours.
The carrier has also asked for the maximum Flight Duty Period to be extended by 1 hour and 45 minutes, which would increase the current cap from 13 hours to 14 hours and 45 minutes.
Airlines operating from India have been forced to take longer routes due to restricted airspace in parts of the Middle East and the continued closure of Pakistan’s airspace to Indian carriers. As a result, flights are being diverted over the Arabian Sea, Central Asia and parts of Africa.
These detours have significantly increased flight durations, driving up fuel consumption and placing additional pressure on crew duty limits, the report said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has also recently advised Indian airlines to avoid the airspace of 11 Middle Eastern countries, classifying them as high-risk zones.
For Air India, avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace has added considerable time to several long-haul routes. The airline has cancelled multiple flights this week due to operational constraints related to the extended flight paths.
Government sources said Air India’s request is currently under review by the aviation regulator.
Officials added that although other airlines are facing similar disruptions, the regulator has not yet received a comparable request from rival carrier IndiGo.
According to the report, Air India did not immediately respond to questions regarding its request or concerns about potential pilot fatigue. (Source: IANS)
