The Melbourne-Delhi Dreamliner flight experienced some technical difficulties after it took off last night and had to return back to Melbourne where it was fixed, Madhu C Mathen, Manager of Air India (Melbourne), said.
The flight finally left for Delhi this morning and will be reaching late tonight, he said.
"The passengers were accommodated to hotels and later brought back to board the flight which was this morning," Mathen said.
The Flight AI 311 had about 200 passengers on board.
New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.
Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:
1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest
Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.
The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.
2. Cap on Night Landings
Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.
Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.
Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.
3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty
Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.
This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.
4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave
Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.
Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.
Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.
5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring
Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.
This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.
The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.
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