IndiGo chaos: One of India’s largest airlines, IndiGo, experienced its worst operational failures in recent times. Over 200 flight cancellations and widespread delays caused panic and confusion at airports across the country on Wednesday. Reports suggest that the airline’s efforts to comply with new, stricter pilot-rest regulations contributed to the chaos.
Airports saw frustrated passengers spending hours in long queues due to delayed departures. Several flights were cancelled, leaving many travellers’ itineraries disrupted and causing widespread inconvenience.
What Indigo said about delays and cancellations
In a statement, the airline said the cancellations and delays were triggered by a combination of unexpected operational issues. “We acknowledge that IndiGo’s operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused,” the airline said. It also attributed the chaos to minor technical glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, and heavy airport congestion. The airline stated “a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges” as the reason.
To restore stability, IndiGo has made careful adjustments to its flight schedules for the next 48 hours. The airline stated that these measures should help normalise operations and improve punctuality. Passengers affected by cancellations or delays are being offered alternative flights or refunds where applicable.
DGCA on Indigo flight cancellations
In a move to tackle flight delays and cancellations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked IndiGo to present the facts leading to the current situation. Along with the plan, the airline is also asked to submit plans to mitigate the ongoing delays and cancellations.
1,232 flight cancellations in November
The DGCA revealed that IndiGo Airlines witnessed 1,232 flight cancellations in November. Of these, 755 flights were cancelled due to the new FDTL norms that came into effect from November 1. The DGCA reported that IndiGo’s on-time performance declined in November, falling to 67.7% from 84.1% in October. This indicates that the airline experienced significantly more delays compared to the previous month.
Flights delayed due to:
- 755 due to FDTL and crew constraints
- 258 from airspace restrictions
- 92 due to ATC system failures
- 127 for other reasons
While the airlines may have blamed a combination of factors, several reports attributed the operational logjam to the implementation of updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) that came into effect in November.
Flight Duty Time Limitations
Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) are rules that decide how long pilots and cabin crew can work, how much rest they must get, and how their schedules are planned to keep flights safe. These rules include limits on duty hours (Flight Duty Period), actual flight time, mandatory rest between duties, total hours over a week or month, and stricter rules for night flights or multiple short flights. The main goal is to prevent fatigue, keep pilots alert, and ensure overall safety in aviation.
What Pilots say
The Airline Pilots’ Association (ALPA) questioned the management of all Indian aviation carriers, arguing that the situation reflects failure by major airlines to plan their resources properly. They added that the problem may have been worsened by attempts to pressure the regulator into relaxing the Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) rules for commercial gain.
“The situation concerning the recent flight cancellations across India, allegedly attributed to pilot shortage due to new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms, raises significant questions about the airline’s management, regulatory oversight by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and market fairness,” ALPA India said in a statement.
