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The aviation regulator has allowed Air India to temporarily extend the maximum duty hours and rest period for pilots on long-haul routes to allow the airline to tackle Pakistan's airspace ban, according to an internal memo.
The exemption is for about two weeks beginning April 30 and is applicable for Airbus and Boeing long-haul jets, according to the memo, and is meant to cover flights to destinations in the U.S.
According to news agency Reuters, the exemption been put in place while a permanent solution is being worked out.
The exemption increases the maximum flight duty period - typically the time between reporting for duty and the end of flight-related activities - for pilots and cabin crew, per the memo.
Air India and India's civil aviation ministry, which houses the regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), have not commented yet.
Indian airlines are bracing for higher fuel costs and longer journey times after Pakistan shut its airspace to the country's carriers as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours flared following an attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir last week.
Reuters reported on Thursday that Air India expects to face around $600 million in additional costs if the ban from Pakistan's airspace lasts for a year, and has asked the federal government to compensate it for the hit.
The maximum pilot flight duty period for a flight of up to 12 hours is now 16 hours compared with the previous 14 hours, while for flights above 14 hours, the duty period has risen to 24 hours instead of 22 hours, according to the memo sent to pilots and seen by Reuters.
Extra rest periods of four hours and 12 hours over present limits have also been planned for crew at layovers and the home base, respectively.