IndiGo to hire about 1,000 pilots in 2026-27 as FDTL rest rules tighten

IndiGo, the country's largest airline, has announced a major recruitment drive. In the financial year 2026-27, the company will hire about 1,000 pilots. According to sources familiar with the matter, this will be the largest hiring by any Indian airline in a single year.

Part of this target has already been met. IndiGo has recruited 600 pilots in the first six months of this year. At least 400 more will be hired by the end of March next year.

The company had 5,700 pilots as of March 31, 2026. By the end of September, the number had risen to 6,300.

The decision has its roots in last year's disruption. In December 2025, while trying to comply with the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, IndiGo went through the biggest scheduling crisis in Indian aviation history. Around 4,500 flights had to be cancelled between December 2 and 15. More than a million passengers were stranded at airports across the country. With flights cancelled suddenly, air ticket prices shot up, and the government had to intervene and cap fares. The airline had then promised to hire more pilots, and it is now taking this step after that lesson.

The relief granted under the FDTL norms ends in March next year. IndiGo CEO Willie Walsh, in his first interaction with the media on Monday, said the airline would have enough pilots to complete its schedules. His words were: "We are confident that we will fully comply with the FDTL norms."

The new rules of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) increase pilots' rest hours. This means more pilots are needed for each aircraft than before. The 600 new pilots added to the staff are helping IndiGo run its fleet of more than 380 aircraft without disruption.

Under the new rules, India has raised the weekly rest for pilots from 36 hours to 48 hours. The country's aviation sector is trying to move in line with international standards. India's rules had become outdated compared with those of the FAA in the US or EASA in Europe, and the change was made so that the country's international ranking does not slip. This is counted among the strictest and safest rest rules in the world.