MUMBAI, March 11 -- India's two largest airlines have sought a temporary exemption from pilot duty hour requirements from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after the West Asia conflict lengthened some international routes, pushing flight times beyond limits that normally require an additional pilot, according to a government official familiar with the matter.

IndiGo and Air India Group approached the regulator after flight durations on several westbound routes increased as airlines took longer alternative routings following the closure of Pakistani airspace, the official added.

Under India's Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, if a single-sector flight exceeds 10 hours of flight time-the maximum permitted duration f...