India, Dec. 4 -- The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has alleged that IndiGo "inexplicably" adopted a "hiring freeze" despite getting a two-year preparatory window before the full implementation of new flight duty and rest period norms for cockpit crew".

In a letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) late Wednesday, the pilot body said it has urged the safety regulator not to approve airlines' seasonal flight schedules unless they have adequate staff to operate their services "safely and reliably" under the New Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.

The pilots' body alleged that "despite the two-year preparatory window before full FDTL implementation, the airline inexplicably adopted a hiring freeze, entered non-p...