A recent surge in pilot fatigue reports, coupled with the high rejection rates by major Indian airlines, has ignited a serious debate about aviation safety in the country. The issue gained prominence following the deaths of two commercial pilots from cardiac arrest in quick succession.
Alarming Rejection Rates for Pilot Fatigue Reports
Data from 2025 reveals a concerning trend among India's largest carriers. Air India received 1,578 fatigue reports from its pilots but rejected 860 of them, a 54.5% rejection rate. IndiGo's figures are even more stark, with 8,721 reports filed and 8,449 rejected, amounting to a staggering 96.9% rejection rate, according to the Safety Matters Foundation.
In contrast, Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, accepted all 278 fatigue reports filed by its pilots in the same period. This disparity across operators, despite pilots sharing the same training and medical standards, suggests potential operator-level screening or under-reporting, rather than a genuine absence of fatigue.
Recent Pilot Deaths Highlight the Crisis
The urgency of the situation was tragically underscored by two recent incidents. On April 29, 2026, Captain Tarundeep Singh, 40, of Air India, was found dead in Bali during a scheduled rest period. The very next day, Captain Arjun Naidu, 44, of Akasa Air, died during a training session in Bengaluru. Both deaths were attributed to cardiac arrest, drawing attention to the immense stress and health challenges faced by pilots.
Delayed FDTL Implementation and Pilot Concerns
The All India Pilot Association (ALPA) has formally written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), emphasizing pilot fatigue as a critical safety concern. ALPA has questioned the continued delay in implementing the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) framework, which is designed to regulate pilot working hours and ensure adequate rest periods.
Current airline policies for reporting fatigue have also drawn criticism. At Air India, a pilot's fatigue report is initially marked as sick leave. If the Fatigue Committee subsequently rejects the report, it remains classified as sick leave. Critics argue that with a limited number of sick days per year, pilots are disincentivized from reporting fatigue, undermining the DGCA's principle of non-punitive reporting.
IndiGo's regulatory filings classify rejected reports as "Fatigue Reports Rejected (Perceived)," implying that pilot fatigue is often considered imagined by the operator.
Global Standards vs. Indian Regulations
The DGCA Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) permits pilots to be rostered for up to 60 hours of duty in any 7 consecutive days. This contrasts with international scientific consensus and recommendations from bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), which link working 55 or more hours per week to significantly higher risks of stroke and ischemic heart disease.
Furthermore, international aviation standards, such as ICAO Annex 6, Part 1, Standard 4.10.6, mandate that duty-time limits be based on scientific principles. The international scientific consensus for maximum Flight Duty Period for night-encroaching duty is 10 hours, a standard established by reports like the 2008 EASA-commissioned Moebus Report and reinforced by NASA Ames.
The ongoing debate highlights the urgent need for India's aviation sector to reassess its approach to pilot well-being and align its regulations with global best practices to ensure the highest standards of passenger safety.