New Delhi, May 1 -- India's pilots have urged the aviation regulator to fully enforce flight duty time limitations (FDTL), warning that relaxations could compromise safety and crew wellbeing. In a 1 May letter, reviewed by Mint, the pilots' association cited recent pilot deaths and flagged rising fatigue risks, seeking a time-bound roadmap to end selective exemptions that, it said, have diluted the intent of the rules. Among other rules, the FDTL mandates a 48-hour 'weekly rest'.

The Airline Pilots' Association of India's (Alpa India) letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) comes after the sudden death of two Indian pilots in the last 24 hours.

The association has asked for all temporary variations to be "progressivel...