Why Airlines Assign Additional Pilots to Certain Routes, Explained After Flydubai Diversion.

Why some flights carry extra pilots while others do not

Airlines in the UAE and around the world may add a third or even fourth pilot to a flight when crew-duty and rest requirements make additional cockpit staff necessary. The practice is generally associated with longer operations rather than being a standard arrangement for every flight.

Aviation analysts say additional pilots are particularly common on long-haul services, especially when a flight is expected to remain in the air for more than eight to 10 hours. Extra crew may also be assigned when pilots are being transported or repositioned to another destination as part of an airline’s wider operations.

The number of pilots assigned to a flight is influenced by regulations governing working hours, mandatory rest periods and fatigue management. Airlines must ensure that crew members remain within their permitted duty limits throughout an entire operation.

As a result, a flight with two pilots may require additional cockpit crew if the total scheduled duty period becomes too long.

The issue has attracted renewed attention following the diversion of Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after an altercation reportedly took place on the flight deck.

According to Flydubai, off-duty members of the airline’s crew who were travelling as passengers intervened and helped secure the aircraft.

The incident has prompted discussion about cockpit staffing, pilot fatigue and the circumstances under which airlines place additional crew members on board.

What happened to Flydubai flight FZ1073?

Flight FZ1073 was operating from Dubai towards Tel Aviv when the incident occurred.

The airline said an altercation in the cockpit resulted in the aircraft being diverted.

Tracking information from Flightradar24 indicated that the aircraft descended by more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before eventually landing safely, according to the available tracking data.

Saudi authorities said both the captain and first officer suffered injuries and were taken to hospital for medical treatment.

The incident is being investigated by UAE authorities. The UAE Attorney-General has ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the event.

Flydubai has also suspended flights between the UAE and Israel following the incident.

The events have placed additional attention on the procedures airlines use to manage long flights, cockpit emergencies and the availability of qualified crew members.

Extra pilots are not required on every flight

According to Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research, airlines operating in the UAE are not required to place an additional pair of pilots on every flight.

Instead, the number of crew members assigned to an operation depends on regulatory requirements and the expected length of the overall duty period.

UAE aviation rules establish limits covering pilot duty time, required rest and fatigue management.

These rules determine when additional crew members are necessary.

Ahmad said the decision is based on regulatory and operational calculations rather than simply being a choice made by an airline.

Airlines assess the complete period during which pilots will be on duty.

That calculation can begin well before an aircraft leaves the runway and continue after it reaches its destination.

Factors include the time pilots are required to report before departure, the scheduled flying time, post-flight responsibilities, possible delays, contingency allowances and changes caused by crossing time zones.

For a typical operation involving two pilots, the airline calculates whether the entire duty period falls within the applicable limits.

If the projected duty exceeds the maximum permitted period for two pilots, an additional pilot may be required.

Likewise, if the operation would exceed the permitted limit for three pilots, a fourth pilot could be added.

The objective is to ensure that pilots are able to complete their duties without exceeding regulated limits or operating while excessively fatigued.

Why airlines do not simply add more pilots to every flight

At first glance, assigning extra pilots to every service might appear to offer an additional layer of safety.

In practice, however, there are significant operational and financial reasons why airlines do not routinely carry additional cockpit crew on short flights.

Pilots are highly trained professionals and represent a substantial cost for airlines.

Adding one or two unnecessary crew members to every flight would increase staffing expenses without providing a corresponding operational benefit on sectors where two pilots can comfortably remain within their legal duty limits.

The aviation industry also faces continuing challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified pilots.

Carrying additional crew who do not need to perform active flying duties on shorter routes could therefore place an unnecessary burden on airline resources.

Ahmad said airlines instead calculate their crew requirements according to the length and circumstances of each operation.

Where an itinerary is long enough to create a fatigue or duty-time issue, additional pilots can be rostered.

On shorter routes, however, the standard cockpit crew may be sufficient.

How crew-duty calculations work

The calculation is more complicated than simply looking at the number of hours an aircraft is expected to spend in the air.

A pilot’s duty begins before take-off.

Crew members normally have to report to the airport well before departure to complete preparation and other required procedures.

Ahmad said this report period can typically begin 60 to 90 minutes before departure.

Once the aircraft reaches its destination, pilots may still have post-flight responsibilities before their duty officially ends.

Airlines therefore consider the entire period rather than just the time between take-off and landing.

Delays can further complicate the calculation.

A flight that is scheduled to take eight hours could potentially result in a considerably longer duty period if departure is delayed or operational problems occur.

Airlines also build contingency allowances into their planning and consider the effect of crossing multiple time zones.

When the total duty period approaches or exceeds the applicable regulatory limit, additional pilots may be required.

Long-haul operations require different planning

The need for extra pilots is most apparent on long-distance routes.

Modern widebody aircraft such as the Boeing 777, Boeing 777X, Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 are capable of operating very long international flights.

At the same time, newer narrowbody aircraft, including the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo families, have expanded the range of routes that can be served by single-aisle aircraft.

An aircraft’s ability to remain airborne for a long period does not mean the same two pilots can necessarily operate the entire journey without additional crew.

Crew-rest and duty-time regulations remain applicable regardless of the aircraft’s technical capabilities.

When a flight is sufficiently long, airlines can roster additional pilots who rotate through operating duties and rest periods.

This allows the flight to continue while ensuring individual crew members have opportunities to rest during the journey.

Ahmad described additional crew on long-distance flights as a safety measure for both passengers and crew.

Where do additional pilots sit?

Extra pilots do not necessarily remain in the cockpit for the entire flight.

On long-range aircraft, airlines commonly provide dedicated crew-rest facilities where pilots can sleep or rest during the journey.

The cockpit can therefore continue to be operated by the required active crew while other pilots take their allocated rest periods.

On some flights, airlines may also reserve passenger seats for additional crew, particularly when the aircraft or route does not provide sufficient dedicated crew-rest space.

The exact arrangements depend on the aircraft, route, airline procedures and regulatory requirements.

The central purpose remains the same: ensuring that pilots who are responsible for operating the aircraft are sufficiently rested and that the total duty period remains within permitted limits.

Some journeys last more than 12 hours

There are hundreds of international routes with scheduled flying times of more than 12 hours.

Examples include services linking New York and Singapore, Auckland and Doha, Melbourne and Dallas-Fort Worth, and Perth and London Heathrow.

Such operations require detailed crew planning because the flight itself can consume a large portion of a pilot’s permitted duty period.

For these services, airlines can use additional pilots so that crew members can rotate between active flight-deck duties and rest periods.

The approach allows carriers to operate long-distance services while complying with requirements designed to manage fatigue.

Extra crew can provide operational flexibility

Additional pilots can also provide airlines with greater flexibility during long operations.

If one pilot becomes unavailable because of illness or another unexpected problem, having another qualified pilot on board can provide an immediate alternative.

This is different from the routine use of additional crew purely for convenience.

The decision to roster extra pilots is generally based on the expected requirements of the flight and applicable regulations.

The availability of additional qualified crew can nevertheless become valuable when circumstances change during a flight.

Two incidents cited by Ahmad in 2026 illustrate why pilot availability can matter when an unexpected medical emergency occurs.

In one case, a Delta flight travelling from Los Angeles to Boston experienced an incident in which the captain became unwell during the cruise.

The remaining pilot took over the operation and diverted the aircraft to Detroit.

In another case involving a Tarom Boeing 737 travelling from Amsterdam to Bucharest, the co-pilot reportedly became incapacitated while the aircraft was cruising at 35,000 feet.

The captain continued flying and diverted the aircraft to Bucharest.

These incidents demonstrate that airlines must have procedures for situations in which one member of a two-person flight crew becomes unable to continue operating.

Pilot incapacitation is a separate issue

The possibility of pilot illness or incapacitation is one of the considerations behind cockpit safety procedures.

Commercial aircraft are designed to be operated by the required flight crew, and pilots receive training for situations in which one crew member becomes unavailable.

However, carrying additional pilots is not a universal requirement for every flight.

The decision depends on factors such as flight duration, duty periods and applicable aviation regulations.

On long-distance services, additional crew can allow pilots to take planned rest periods and can provide another qualified crew member if circumstances change.

On short-haul operations, the flight may be short enough for the required crew to complete the journey without needing additional pilots.

UAE aviation authorities praise the Flydubai crew

Following the September 30 incident, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority and Flydubai chief executive officer Ghaith Al Ghaith praised the response of Captain Smit Matchhar, the flight crew and passengers aboard FZ1073.

The Indian pilot was recognised for what authorities described as remarkable courage and a rapid response during the incident.

The aviation authority said the intervention of those involved helped contain the situation and avoid potentially more serious consequences.

The authority also highlighted the preparedness and cooperation shown during the emergency.

Its statement described the response as reflecting shared responsibility during exceptional circumstances.

The recognition came as the circumstances of the incident continued to be examined by investigators.

Extra pilots are not a substitute for security procedures

The discussion surrounding additional pilots should not be confused with the separate question of aircraft security.

An airline may have multiple qualified pilots on board because of duty-time requirements, but that does not necessarily mean those pilots are present to provide additional security.

Likewise, the presence of off-duty airline crew as passengers on a flight is not the same as an airline deliberately rostering additional cockpit crew.

In the Flydubai case, the airline said off-duty crew travelling on the aircraft intervened during the incident and helped secure the aircraft.

The circumstances of that response remain part of the broader investigation.

The role of fatigue management

Fatigue management is a major component of modern airline operations.

Long periods of wakefulness and extended duty can affect a pilot’s ability to perform complex tasks.

For that reason, aviation regulators impose limits on how long pilots can remain on duty and establish minimum rest requirements.

Airlines must design crew schedules around those rules.

When a flight can be completed within the permitted limits using two pilots, there is generally no regulatory requirement to add more.

When the duty period becomes too long, additional crew can allow pilots to rotate their responsibilities and take rest during the operation.

This explains why the number of pilots on an aircraft can vary considerably between routes.

The aircraft itself is not the deciding factor

Passengers may sometimes assume that the number of pilots is determined primarily by the type of aircraft being used.

In reality, the aircraft model is only one part of the planning process.

A Boeing 737 MAX or Airbus A320neo may operate a relatively short regional flight with the standard cockpit crew, while newer versions of these aircraft can also be used on considerably longer routes.

Similarly, widebody aircraft such as the Boeing 777 or Airbus A350 can operate extremely long services where additional pilots may be required.

The critical factor is the expected duty period and the applicable regulations.

What happens when a flight is delayed?

Another reason airlines carefully calculate crew requirements is that the scheduled flight time is not always the actual duty time.

A delay before departure can extend the period during which pilots are required to remain at work.

Weather, congestion, technical issues or other operational disruptions can further increase the total time.

Airlines must monitor these circumstances to ensure that crew members do not exceed permitted limits.

If the expected duty period becomes too long, the airline may need to make operational changes.

Depending on the circumstances, this could include assigning additional crew, changing the roster or taking other measures required under aviation regulations.

A balance between safety and efficiency

The system is designed to balance two competing requirements.

Airlines need enough pilots to ensure safe and compliant operations, particularly on long-distance services.

At the same time, routinely assigning extra pilots to every flight would create substantial additional costs and could make airline operations less efficient.

The result is a system in which crew numbers are matched to the demands of each operation.

Two pilots may be sufficient for a short sector.

A longer flight may require three.

An exceptionally long or complex duty period may require four.

The exact number is determined through regulatory requirements and operational planning.

Why the Flydubai case has drawn attention

The Flydubai diversion has brought these issues into public discussion because of the unusual circumstances reported aboard the aircraft.

FZ1073 was operating between Dubai and Tel Aviv when an altercation on the flight deck led to the diversion to Tabuk.

The reported rapid descent, injuries to the captain and first officer and intervention by off-duty Flydubai crew travelling as passengers have all become part of the public account of the incident.

The UAE Attorney-General has ordered an investigation, while Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel.

The investigation will help establish the full circumstances surrounding the event.

For the aviation industry, however, the episode has also highlighted a broader question about how airlines determine cockpit staffing and prepare for unexpected situations.

Extra pilots are used when the operation requires them

The key point is that additional pilots are not automatically assigned to every flight.

Airlines assess each operation based on factors including expected duty length, rest requirements, flight duration, time-zone changes, delays and contingency planning.

If two pilots can legally and safely complete the planned duty within the applicable limits, additional cockpit crew may not be necessary.

If the duty period is too long, a third pilot can be added.

For an even longer operation, a fourth pilot may be required.

This system allows airlines to provide additional staffing where it is operationally necessary without placing unnecessary crew and cost burdens on every service.

As international aviation continues to expand the use of long-range aircraft and new routes, these calculations will remain an important part of flight planning.

The Flydubai incident has therefore renewed attention on an aspect of airline operations that passengers may rarely notice: the careful calculation behind the number of pilots assigned to each flight.