DGCA Vs Pilots' Fatigue Battle

Good Morning. India’s aviation regulator has made new rules that will require pilots to stay on duty for an extra half hour — a “small” tweak that has sparked a big backlash. The DGCA says the change is operationally sound. Pilots believe that it’s pushing fatigued crew who are already stretched thin.

Indian benchmark indices closed higher on Wednesday after Tuesday’s dip. The BSE Sensex was up 368.97 points, or 0.44% closing at 84,977.13. The NSE Nifty50 was up by 117.7 points or 0.45%, closing at 26,053.9.

In other news, US president Donald Trump made some positive remarks about the US-India trade deal. Meanwhile, Air India says there’s nothing wrong with its operations.

DECODE THE NEWS

‘Just Half an Hour More’: Pilots Warn DGCA’s New Rule Risks Fatigue

By Zinal Dedhia

What?

On October 26, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), announced a small change that pilots say can have big consequences. Pilots may now have to be on duty an hour longer than before..

Effective November 1, the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) will increase from 13 hours to 14 hours, and the Flight Duty Period (FDP) will go up from 10 hours to 10 hours and 30 minutes.

The All India Pilots Association (ALPA India) has urged the DGCA to withdraw the flight duty time extension, calling it a direct threat to flight safety.

“Even 10 hours was already a lot. We have operated those flights — by the time you are approaching, say, London, your eyes are burning. We are very clear — this change directly impacts safety,” Sam Thomas, president of ALPA India, told The Core.

Why?

Pilot fatigue has long been recognised as one of aviation’s biggest safety concerns. Numerous studies equate the cognitive effects of fatigue to alcohol intoxication.

“Think of it this way — that last 30 minutes comes at the most critical phase of flight: approach and landing. That’s when you need to be most alert. You have already flown 10 hours, and now you are dealing with complex weather or busy traffic. Sure, you can rely on autopilot most days, but what happens when something goes wrong? Are you really prepared for that level of fatigue? Even three extra minutes can be too many,” Thomas explained.

What's Next?

The DGCA maintains that the change doesn’t compromise safety and that any changes were made after reviewing operational data.

When asked if it’s up to airlines to decide whether to adopt the new limits, Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, director general of DGCA said that it isn’t. “The airlines will be implementing the time extension. It's not dependent on them, it's a directive where the airlines have sought certain relaxations, which on a case-by-case basis we have given, not on everything,” he said.

In other words, while the rule change comes from the regulator, some airlines had earlier sought flexibility in duty-time norms — particularly for long-haul operations.

So, as pilots warn of exhaustion and regulators insist safety isn’t being compromised, one question now hangs in the air — The rule may add just 30 minutes on paper — but could it cost much more in the air?

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CORE NUMBER

$5 trillion

That’s the market valuation American tech giant Nvidia hit on Wednesday, becoming the highest valued publicly listed company in the world. The chipmaker is now worth more than the entire cryptocurrency market and roughly half the value of Europe’s Stoxx 600 index.

Fast Facts: The company’s shares jumped after CEO Jensen Huang announced $500 billion worth of AI chip orders and plans to build seven supercomputers for the US government on Tuesday.

Once known mainly for its gaming graphics processors, Nvidia now powers the world’s leading large-language models and AI infrastructure. Its meteoric rise mirrors the global frenzy of investment around artificial intelligence.

Pivot: Rivals Apple and Microsoft have both crossed the $4 trillion mark in recent months, reflecting investor faith in sustained AI spending. Still, some analysts caution that valuations across the sector may be overheating.

Nvidia’s dominance also faces geopolitical friction. US export curbs on advanced semiconductors have restricted China’s access to AI chips. In turn, it also limited Nvidia’s reach into one of its largest potential markets.

FROM THE PERIPHERY

Deal And Detour?

Trump on Wednesday said the US could finalise a trade deal with India “soon”, but gave no update on the steep import tariffs imposed on Indian goods. He made the remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in South Korea. The key sticking point remains India’s demand for assurance against future punitive duties, which Washington hasn’t guaranteed.

Critical Moment: At the same event, he also claimed that he had threatened 250% tariffs on India and Pakistan during the recent period of tension between them, adding that it helped tone things down. 

Implications: The comments come as an India-bound tanker carrying Russian crude turned around in the Baltic Sea after new US sanctions on Russian oil firms.

‘Nothing Wrong,’ Says Air India CEO!

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report on the AI-171 crash found nothing wrong with the airline’s operations or aircraft systems. Speaking at the Aviation India 2025 Summit, he said the airline continues to cooperate fully with investigators.

The Backstory: Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 from Ahmedabad to London, crashed on June 12, killing 241 people. The report said both fuel control switches were briefly turned off, cutting power to the engines. The pilot’s family has called for a deeper psychological review of cockpit behaviour, stressing that “no one should jump to conclusions until all human-factor findings are made public.”

The Shift: Wilson said Air India had around people “on ground” in Ahmedabad in light of the tragedy, set up a Tata Sons-backed trust, completed interim compensation, and temporarily cut flying by 15% to enhance safety.

Another Distant Deal?

Meanwhile, India is making slow progress on other deals. India and the European Union (EU) said they had made progress in negotiating a long-pending free trade agreement but need further discussions on key issues, including tariffs on steel and automobiles, and the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism. 

Context: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in Brussels this week, where both sides reaffirmed plans to conclude the deal by end-2025. India sought easier market access for its labour-intensive exports such as textiles and leather, while the EU has pressed for lower duties and alignment on climate standards. 

What This Means Going Forward: A technical team from the EU will visit India soon to work on pending tariff lines. The FTA, in talks since 2007, is central to India’s effort to diversify exports and deepen links with Western economies.

Indian Oil Goes Global.

Indian Oil Corp (IOC), India’s largest refiner, plans to seal a joint venture with global trader Vitol early next year to expand its global crude and fuel trading footprint, a source said to Reuters. The Singapore-based JV, modelled on global majors like ExxonMobil and Shell, will run for five to seven years with exit options for both.

The Turning Point: The partnership aims to cut IOC’s crude procurement costs and boost margins via Vitol’s trading expertise and buyer network. The venture comes as IOC continues Russian oil purchases through non-sanctioned entities despite fresh US sanctions on producers like Lukoil and Rosneft.

What's Next? With India importing 1.9 million barrels per day from Russia, refiners are turning to spot markets and alternatives such as Iraq’s Basrah and US West Texas crude to cushion supply risks.

PODCASTS

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On Episode 713 of The Core Report, financial journalist Govindraj Ethiraj talks to Aamar Deo Singh, Senior Vice President - Equity, Commodity & Currency at Angel One.

• Will Trump’s Asia visit goodwill spill over to India?

• Market exuberance rules higher as Nvidia crosses $5 trillion

• It's the best time in a long time for PSU banks and the markets are rewarding the stocks.

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• Did Bill Gates just do an about turn on climate?

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