The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) first proposed the new FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) in January 2024 to give adequate rest to pilots in the interest of passenger safety. IndiGo ignored the notification and, using political clout, took no action to recruit or train new pilots or even adjust the schedules to comply with the new safety requirements. Pilot complaints were ignored, allegations of monopoly abuse emerged. Pilots filed cases in courts. However, the regulator continued to relax regulations specifically for IndiGo. On December 5, over 1,000 IndiGo flights had to be cancelled. Thousands of passengers were stranded across India. After several postponements to favour IndiGo, under court orders, the DGCA finally decided to implement the new FDTL rules from July 1 and November 1, two years after they were first proposed.

Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said India would require about 30,000 new pilots over the next 15 years. On November 25, Adani Defence Systems and Prime Aero Services acquired a majority stake in the Flight Simulation Technique Centre (FSTC), giving the Adani Group significant control over India’s pilot-training ecosystem. Five days later, on December 1, we witnessed the IndiGo meltdown. Is there a connection?

Today IndiGo controls 65 per cent of the Indian aviation market, while the Tatas (Air India) have less than 30 per cent market share. In 2004, there were 4 crore annual passengers and eight airlines. In 2025, passengers rose to 40 crore, with only two major airlines. This represents a classic case of regulatory capture........

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