Pilots' body goes full throttle on safety amid death of two pilots in 48 hours, writes to DGCA on FDTL delay

In the wake of deaths of two pilots in the last 48 hours, the Airline Pilots' Association (ALPA) of India has raised serious concerns with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation over the continued deferment of the full implementation of the court-mandated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) framework, warning that the delay could impact flight safety and pilot well-being.

In a letter dated May 1, the pilots’ body said the “continued grant of variations to operators has materially diluted the intent of the FDTL regulations,” adding that these temporary relaxations have effectively become the norm. 

“This defeats the purpose of fatigue management framework and perpetuates scheduling practices that operate at or near regulatory limits without adequate safety buffers,” it noted. 

Two pilot’s death in two days

Notably, the pilot body’s reaction came in response to the two pilot’s deaths in two days. An Akasa Air pilot died after suffering a heart attack during a training session in Bengaluru on Thursday. The pilot, a captain in his mid-40s, experienced a medical emergency while attending a ground training programme.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our pilot colleagues who had a personal medical emergency while on ground training duty in Bengaluru,” an Akasa Air spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the airline, the pilot was given immediate medical attention and taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

This is at least the second such incident involving an Indian airline in the past two days. On Thursday, an Air India pilot, who was on scheduled rest, also died of a heart attack in Bali.

Time-bound road map sought 

ALPA India has urged the regulator to lay out “a structured and time-bound programme for the gradual withdrawal of all such variations,” culminating in the “full and uniform implementation of FDTL provisions across operators.” It added that a clear road map would provide both regulatory certainty and operational clarity. 

The association also flagged concerns around pilot fatigue and rest norms. It said “provisions allowing leave to be substituted in place of weekly rest be reinstated gradually,” warning that dilution of meaningful weekly rest can have “a cumulative impact on fatigue, circadian disruption, and long-term health outcomes.” 

Push for transparency and data disclosure 

Calling for greater transparency, ALPA India sought mandatory disclosure of fatigue-related data. It recommended that airlines be asked to “submit quarterly fatigue report data in a standardised format” and that such data be placed “in the public domain through routine publication on the DGCA website.” 

The letter also highlighted concerns about “discouragement and penalisation of fatigue reporting,” stating that available information indicates “an alarmingly low rate of acceptance of fatigue reports by operators.” It said such trends undermine the principles of a just safety culture. 

Separately, the association pointed to the lack of disclosure of findings from the IndiGo disruption of December 2025, saying the “continued withholding of such a report raises concerns,” and called for it to be made public “in the interest of transparency and institutional accountability.” 

ALPA India also asked the DGCA to publish periodic data on pilot availability and medical fitness, including instances of permanent and temporary medical unfitness, and trends linked to rostering practices. 

Stressing that safety must remain paramount, the association said any move to dilute FDTL norms “must be categorically rebuffed,” adding that “commercial considerations do not override safety imperatives.” 

The pilots’ body reiterated that the measures are “urgently essential not only to safeguard flight operations but also to reinforce confidence in the regulatory framework governing civil aviation in India.”