Post by : Rameen Ariff

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved a limited exemption for Air India, allowing its Boeing 787 long-haul flights to operate beyond standard duty limits under specific and controlled conditions. The approval applies to Air India’s winter schedule, covering the period from October 26, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

According to the order, Air India’s two-member cockpit crew can now operate flights with up to 10 hours and 30 minutes of flight time and a Flight Duty Period (FDP) of up to 14 hours, provided the extension occurs due to unforeseen operational factors such as weather diversions, air traffic congestion, or other unavoidable delays after departure.

Flights Covered Under the Exemption

The exemption applies specifically to select long-haul routes, including:

• Delhi–Copenhagen (AI 157)

• Delhi–Milan (AI 137)

• Delhi–San Francisco (AI 179)

• Delhi–Frankfurt (AI 2029)

• Delhi–London (AI 152)

• London Gatwick–Amritsar (AI 170)

• Birmingham–Amritsar (AI 118)

• Delhi–Zurich (AI 151)

• Ahmedabad–London (AI 135) and Ahmedabad–London Gatwick

Strict Conditions Apply

The DGCA emphasized that this exemption cannot be used for advance flight planning. It is only valid if the flight time or FDP exceeds the limit after departure. This ensures that the exemption is used solely for unplanned extensions and not as a scheduling tool.

Additional conditions include:

• The relaxation applies only to the specified routes.

• Training flights are excluded from this provision.

• Flight crews must receive an additional hour of rest beyond the minimum requirement during layovers for long-range operations.

Operational Continuity with Safety Oversight

Officials clarified that the exemption does not alter Air India’s existing flight operation approvals. The DGCA highlighted that all crew safety and regulatory oversight standards remain unchanged.

This move is expected to provide Air India with operational flexibility for select international routes operated by its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, ensuring smooth winter operations while maintaining crew safety and compliance with aviation norms.

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