The head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, has said that India’s new flight duty regulations for pilots are “much more restrictive” compared to rules in other parts of the world. However, he believes that things will settle down with time as airlines adjust to the changes.

His comments come amid the major operational crisis faced by IndiGo over the past week. India’s largest airline had to cancel hundreds of flights, affecting thousands of passengers, after struggling to implement the second phase of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms that became effective on November 1.

According to Walsh, India’s updated rules, particularly the restrictions around night-time flying are stricter than those used in Europe or the United States. He said fatigue regulations for pilots are a topic of constant debate globally and each country decides what is appropriate for its aviation environment.

“India has chosen to take stronger measures, especially to address fatigue during night operations,” Walsh said at a media roundtable in Geneva. He noted that such rules are likely to impact low-cost carriers more, since they rely heavily on late-night and early-morning flights.

Despite the disruptions, Walsh emphasised that regulators ultimately act in the interest of safety. “The changes have been implemented for the right reasons. It is just a matter of time before the system settles down,” he said.

A lack of proper preparation by IndiGo in adjusting to the second phase of the FDTL norms has been widely cited as one of the main reasons for the airline’s recent chaos. The airline’s schedules stabilised only after days of cancellations and delays.

The new rules limit the number of night landings a pilot can perform, among other restrictions, which required airlines to redesign rosters and flight patterns.