IndiGo chaos continues for third day, over 200 flights cancelled so far today
IndiGo chaos continues for third day, over 200 flights cancelled so far today
IndiGo apologised for the disruption and said it had started making calibrated adjustments to its schedules. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it was reviewing the situation and had asked the airline to submit a detailed report on the causes of the breakdown.
Domestic carrier IndiGo cancelled more than one hundred and eighty flights from three major airports on Thursday, as the airline continued to struggle with a shortage of crew following the introduction of new flight duty and rest period norms for pilots.
According to a source quoted by PTI, IndiGo cancelled eighty six flights in Mumbai on Thursday, including forty one arrivals and forty five departures. In Bengaluru, 73 flights were cancelled, of which 41 were arrivals. Delhi also saw 33 cancellations, a number expected to rise by the end of the day.
The airline’s on-time performance plunged to nineteen point seven per cent at six key airports, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad -- on December 3. This was almost half of the already reduced 35 per cent recorded on December 2.
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What's behind the cancellations
Sources said IndiGo has been facing an acute shortage of crew since the rollout of the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations norms. The new rules mandate longer rest periods and reduced night duties for pilots, leading to significant disruption across the airline’s network.
In a statement on Thursday, the airline said it is working to resolve the crisis, which is due to a multitude of reasons.
"A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations) had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated," it said.
"To contain the disruption and restore stability, we have initiated calibrated adjustments to our schedules. These measures will remain in place for the next 48 hours and will allow us to normalise our operations and progressively recover our punctuality across the network. Our teams are working around the clock to ease customer discomfort and ensure operations stabilise as quickly as possible. Furthermore, the affected customers are being offered alternate travel arrangements to reach their destinations or refunds, as applicable," the statement added.
Aviation regulator steps in
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is investigating the disruptions and has asked IndiGo to explain the reasons for the cancellations and outline steps to stabilise operations. The DGCA also held a meeting with the IndiGo management to assess and resolve the situation.
Concerns raised by pilots’ body
The Federation of Indian Pilots has alleged that IndiGo imposed a hiring freeze despite having a two-year window to prepare for the full implementation of the new FDTL rules.
In a letter to the DGCA, the group urged the regulator not to approve seasonal flight schedules unless airlines have sufficient staff to operate safely and reliably under the updated norms.
The pilots’ body also requested the DGCA to consider reallocating IndiGo’s slots to other airlines during the peak holiday and fog season if the carrier continues to fall short of its operational commitments because of what it termed avoidable staffing shortages.
