India, Nov. 13 -- Two years after the office of the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) proposed new guidelines for flight duty timings limitations (FTDL) for pilots and the proposal reached and was deliberated by the Indian courts, we are finally here. Rest and maximum duty hours for pilots have been eased, lifting some of the stress especially for narrow body commanders, whose job remains less enviable than that of wide body crews.

The new guidelines --- which have come into full force (barring a few exemptions granted) from November 1, 2025 --- have been much awaited since the airlines have been resisting these since November 2023 when they were first drafted and the matter like most others went into dispute before the courts. ...