India DGCA Flight Duty Time Calculator
Find your maximum flight duty period, flight time and landings under India's DGCA FDTL rules, with the night-duty check, latest off time and the rest you need after.
3 or 4 pilots is an augmented crew that takes turns to rest in flight.
All the DGCA limits this calculator uses
Two pilots (paragraph 6.1)
| Duty | Landings | Max FDP | Max flight time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1.2 Day | 1–2 | 13:00 | 9:00 |
| 6.1.1 Day | 3 | 12:30 | 8:00 |
| 6.1.1 Day | 4 | 12:00 | 8:00 |
| 6.1.1 Day | 5 | 11:30 | 8:00 |
| 6.1.1 Day | 6 | 11:00 | 8:00 |
| 6.1.4 Night, within acclimatised zone | 2 (4 cargo-only) | 10:00 | 8:00 |
| 6.1.3 Night, beyond acclimatised zone | 1 | 13:00 | 10:00 |
Augmented crew (paragraph 7.1)
| Crew | Bunk | Isolated seat | Basic seat | Flight time | Landings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 pilots | 16:00 | 15:00 | 14:00 | 12:00 | 2 |
| 4 pilots | 18:00 | 16:00 | Not permitted | 14:00 | 1 |
| 4 pilots, ULR | 21:00 | Not permitted | Not permitted | 17:00 | 1 |
WOCL (02:00–06:00): an FDP starting in it is cut by the encroachment, up to 2:00; one ending in or covering it is cut by half the encroachment. In-flight rest: at least 90 minutes in a row each, 2:00 for the pilot doing the landing (7.2.2).
Rest (paragraphs 10, 10.6 and 13)
| Before a flight duty | The longest of the previous duty, 12:00, 18:00 after more than 3 and up to 7 time zones, 36:00 after more than 7 |
| Before other duties / after standby | 10:00 / 12:00 |
| Previous duty over 18 h | Rest must include a local night |
| Airport transport | Over 30 min: rest extended by 2 × the extra time |
| Back at home base | 36 h incl. 2 local nights (more than 3 to 7 zones); 72 h incl. 3 local nights (more than 7) |
| Night duties in a row | 2 at most, except once in any 168 h; then 24 h incl. a local night, plus 2 h |
| Weekly rest | 48 h in a row incl. 2 local nights, at most 168 h apart; 60 h after more than 3 night duties in 168 h |
| Duty period (6.2) | Max FDP + 1:00 |
Cumulative limits (paragraph 8)
| Period | Flight time | Duty |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | 35 h | 60 h |
| 14 days | 65 h | 100 h |
| 28 days | 100 h | 190 h |
| 90 days | 300 h | 600 h |
| 365 days | 1000 h | 1800 h |
Source: DGCA CAR Section 7, Series J, Part III, Issue III, Rev 1 (8 Jan 2024) and Rev 2 (26 Mar 2024) (dgca.gov.in). Checked on 11 October 2026. DGCA has granted operator-specific relaxations at times.
How your duty limits are worked out
Start from the crew and landings, check the night window, then add the rest.
- 1
Two-pilot limit
2 landings · CAR 6.1.2Flight time 9:00FDP 13:00
- 2
Night check
18:30 + 13:00= 07:30 (night)Night 6.1.4: 10:00
- 3
Your limits
FDP 10:00Flight time 8:00Off by 04:30 IST
- 4
Rest after
Longer of 10:00and 12:00= 12:00 restNext report 16:30
Read more: the rules, a worked example and the limits table
DGCA's flight duty time limitations (FDTL) in CAR Section 7, Series J, Part III cap how long flight crew of scheduled airlines can be on duty and at the controls, and how much rest they get. The flight duty period (FDP) runs from the time you report until the aircraft is on blocks after the last landing; the duty period can run at most an hour longer, for post-flight duties.
The 2024 revision widened the night window to 00:00–06:00, cut a night duty within the acclimatised time zone to 10 hours with two landings, limited crews to two night duties in a row, and raised weekly rest to 48 hours including two local nights.
The formula
1–2 landings: FDP 13:00, flight time 9:00 (6.1.2)
3, 4, 5, 6 landings: FDP 12:30, 12:00, 11:30, 11:00, flight time 8:00 (6.1.1)
night duty: FDP 10:00, flight time 8:00, 2 landings (6.1.4)
latest end = report time + max FDP
max duty period = max FDP + 1:00
rest after = the longest of the duty, 12:00, or the time-zone rest
Worked example
Two pilots report at 18:30 IST for two landings and 4 hours 30 minutes of flying. Paragraph 6.1.2 allows 13:00, but 18:30 + 13:00 = 07:30 the next morning, which runs into 00:00–06:00. To stay clear of the night they would have to finish by 00:00, which allows only 5:30. As a night duty within the acclimatised time zone (6.1.4) they get 10:00, so the latest end of the FDP is 18:30 + 10:00 = 04:30 IST (2300Z), and the duty period can run to 11:00. The flight time limit is 8:00 and the landing limit is 2, so 4:30 of flying and 2 landings are fine. Rest after is the longer of 10:00 and 12:00, which is 12:00, so the earliest next report is 16:30 IST the next day.
A day duty for comparison: report at 07:00 for four landings. Paragraph 6.1.1 gives 12:00 with 8:00 of flight time, so the FDP must end by 19:00.
Night duty
A duty is a night duty if any part of it overlaps 00:00–06:00 in the time zone you're acclimatised to. When a day duty would run past midnight, the calculator compares stopping by midnight with taking the night limit and shows whichever gives you more time. A night flight beyond the acclimatised time zone with one landing can use paragraph 6.1.3: 13:00 with 10:00 of flight time. Cargo-only flights may make four landings at night, then need 24 hours' rest including a local night, plus 2 hours.
You're acclimatised to a 3-hour band around the local time where you start. If you go further than 3 hours away, the departure time zone still counts for the first 48 hours.
Augmented crews and the WOCL
With three or four pilots, crew take turns to rest in flight, so the limits depend on the rest facility: a bunk allows more than an isolated seat, and a basic seat is only allowed with three pilots. The window of circadian low (WOCL) is 02:00–06:00. An augmented FDP that starts in it loses the time inside it, up to 2 hours; one that ends in it or covers it loses half the time inside it. For example, 4 pilots with a bunk reporting at 10:00 would reach 18:00 at 04:00, two hours into the WOCL. The cut is found so the duty and its WOCL time fit together: 17:20 ends at 03:20, 1:20 inside, and 17:20 + 0:40 = 18:00.
What this calculator does not cover
- Standby, reserve, split duty and positioning.
- Cabin crew limits and non-scheduled or helicopter operations, which have their own rules.
- Operator-specific relaxations DGCA has granted at times.
Planning aid only. Limits from DGCA CAR Section 7, Series J, Part III, Issue III, Rev 1 (8 Jan 2024) and Rev 2 (26 Mar 2024), checked on 11 October 2026. Check the current CAR on dgca.gov.in and your operator's approved FDTL scheme before relying on it. Times use IST (UTC+5:30) as the acclimatised time zone for the night window and WOCL.
Common questions
What is FDTL for pilots in India?
FDTL stands for flight duty time limitations. DGCA sets them in CAR Section 7, Series J, Part III to limit pilot fatigue. They cap the flight duty period (from report time to the last on-blocks), the flight time and the number of landings, and set minimum rest, weekly rest and cumulative limits from 7 days up to a year. Airlines fly to their own DGCA-approved scheme.
What is the maximum flight duty period for a two-pilot crew?
Under paragraph 6.1, up to two landings allow a 13-hour flight duty period with 9 hours of flight time. With 3, 4, 5 or 6 landings the limit is 12:30, 12:00, 11:30 or 11:00, with 8 hours of flight time. A night duty within the acclimatised time zone is limited to 10 hours, 8 hours of flight time and two landings.
What counts as night duty under the revised DGCA rules?
Any duty that overlaps 00:00 to 06:00 in the time zone the crew is acclimatised to. Night duties are limited to two in a row, except once in any 168 hours, and after such a run the crew needs at least 24 hours of rest including a local night, plus 2 hours. A local night is 8 hours between 22:00 and 08:00.
How much weekly rest do pilots get in India?
Paragraph 10.6 requires 48 hours in a row, including two local nights, with no more than 168 hours between weekly rests. If the crew flew more than three duties touching the night in the 168 hours before, the weekly rest rises to 60 hours, still including two local nights.
How much rest is needed after a duty?
Before a flight duty, rest must be at least as long as the duty before it and never less than 12 hours. It rises to 18 hours after crossing more than 3 and up to 7 time zones, and 36 hours after more than 7. Airport transport over 30 minutes adds twice the extra time.
Can I rely on this calculator to plan a legal duty?
No. It is a planning aid that shows the main limits in plain English. The legal limits are in the current DGCA CAR and your operator's approved FDTL scheme, which covers standby, split duty and other rules not modelled here, and DGCA has granted operator-specific relaxations at times. Always check with your crew scheduling or operations team.
Related calculators
Made by Zulu Calculator, part of AlphaZulu LLC. Formulas are shown in full and rule figures are checked against official sources; see how we build calculators.