India’s dominant carrier, IndiGo, grappled with escalating disruptions Thursday, as crew shortages triggered widespread flight cancellations across major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, stranding countless travelers and amplifying an already chaotic winter schedule.
The fallout hit hard in Delhi, where over 30 outbound IndiGo flights were scrubbed early in the day, according to airport data. Hyderabad mirrored the turmoil with around 33 cancellations, while Mumbai saw multiple departures grounded as well. Broader impacts rippled through other cities, leaving passengers in limbo amid the holiday rush.
Sources speaking to NDTV projected a grim outlook, estimating more than 170 IndiGo flights could be axed nationwide by day’s end. This follows Wednesday’s tally of roughly 200 cancellations across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad combined—a stark reminder of the airline’s mounting woes.
IndiGo, which handles approximately 2,200 daily flights to 90 domestic and 40 international destinations, issued a terse admission late Wednesday. “Our operations have been significantly disrupted,” the airline stated, extending “sincere apologies” to affected customers. In a bid to explain the cascade, IndiGo pointed to a perfect storm: “minor technology glitches,” winter-induced schedule tweaks, foul weather, airspace bottlenecks, and fresh crew rostering mandates under Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
To stem the bleeding, the carrier announced targeted schedule trims, set to persist for the next 48 hours. “These measures will enable us to normalize operations and steadily rebuild our network-wide punctuality,” IndiGo assured in its release.
At the epicenter of the disarray lies an acute pilot shortfall, exacerbated by November’s revamped FDTL rules. These reforms demand 48-hour weekly rests, broader definitions of night duty, and a cap of two night landings per pilot—down from six—aiming for safer, more humane shifts. Though initially resisted by IndiGo and peers, the changes rolled out per Delhi High Court orders, with the second phase kicking in November 1 after a July debut.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation overseer, has summoned IndiGo executives for a Thursday grilling. The regulator, probing the snafus, demanded a full accounting of causes and mitigation strategies to curb further delays and no-shows.
November’s ledger paints a bleaker picture: IndiGo logged 1,232 total cancellations, per DGCA figures. Of these, 755 stemmed from crew gaps and FDTL curbs; 258 from airport or airspace clamps; 92 tied to Air Traffic Control breakdowns; and 127 from miscellaneous snags. Punctuality plunged to 67.7% last month, a sharp drop from October’s 84.1%.
As IndiGo scrambles to regroup, the episode underscores broader strains on India’s skies, where regulatory pushes for crew welfare collide with peak-season demands, leaving flyers to bear the brunt.
-
-
-
-
