Indigo Flight Cancellation: IndiGo, which commands nearly 65% of India’s domestic aviation market, is grappling with one of the worst operational breakdowns the country has witnessed in years. Since December 2, the airline has cancelled more than 5,000 flights, disrupting travel for over 7.75 lakh passengers. Terminals packed with stranded travellers, repeated cancellations, and overnight chaos have become the dominant images of the ongoing crisis.
The trouble began shortly after the rollout of Phase II of the revised Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms fatigue regulations that extend pilots’ weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours, reduce night landings, and broaden what counts as night duty. IndiGo told the Civil Aviation Ministry it misjudged the manpower gap, ultimately finding itself short of nearly 300 pilots. The shortage triggered a wave of cancellations, grounding aircraft and causing a chain reaction across its network.
Pilot unions, however, say the airline has only itself to blame. They point out that the new rules were announced in January 2024, giving carriers almost two years to adjust. Instead, they allege IndiGo adopted a ‘lean manpower strategy,’ slowed hiring, restricted pilot leave, and expanded its winter schedule despite knowing stricter rest norms were imminent. They maintain that weakening or reversing these rules would compromise flight safety.
The DGCA has stepped in firmly. The regulator issued a show cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidro Pablo Porqueras, asking why action should not be taken for failing to ensure operational preparedness and for not providing required passenger support during large scale delays and cancellations.
In an interview with TOI, On being asked if he would sack IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers over it’s flight operation crisis, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he would if “it comes to that”. Further he mentioned he’s deeply hurt and hasn’t slept properly for days. Moreover, he said he wants to ‘set an example’ to anyone who messes with the aviation industry.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
