Fri May 02 08:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Air India Gets Temporary Pilot Duty Extension Amid Pakistan Airspace Ban
**NEW DELHI** – Air India has received temporary approval from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to extend maximum pilot and cabin crew duty hours on long-haul flights. This two-week exemption, effective April 30th, addresses the disruption caused by Pakistan’s closure of its airspace to Indian carriers. The move, confirmed by an internal memo and a source familiar with the matter, affects Airbus and Boeing long-haul flights, primarily those to the US.
The extension increases maximum flight duty periods by two hours for flights up to 12 hours (from 14 to 16 hours) and by two hours for flights exceeding 14 hours (from 22 to 24 hours). Additional rest periods during layovers and at the home base have also been granted.
This comes as Air India anticipates $600 million in added costs if the airspace ban persists for a year. While the DGCA assures ongoing dialogue with airlines to prevent crew overwork, the increased duty hours have sparked concern among pilots regarding potential workload strain amid India’s booming air travel sector. Air India and the civil aviation ministry have not yet commented publicly.
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