New Delhi : The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned IndiGo officials for a meeting amid widespread operational disruptions that have led to cancellations of more than 100 flights and multiple delays across the country. As many as 30 flights were cancelled at the Delhi airport, while Kolkata reported four.
On Wednesday, the airline cancelled more than 100 flights and delayed scores of others at various airports amid chronic understaffing. The cancellations occurred in Delhi (38), Bengaluru (42), Mumbai (33) and Hyderabad (19). The carrier recorded 1,232 flight cancellations, along with significant delays. Responding to the massive disruptions, the airline, which operates about 2,300 domestic and international flights daily.
The challenges included minor technology glitches, winter-related schedule adjustments, adverse weather, increased congestion across the aviation system, and the rollout of updated crew rostering rules, all of which created a compounding impact that the airline said was not feasible to anticipate. In the wake of the chaos, the Federation of India Pilots (FIP) slammed the airline’s hiring freeze and “unorthodox” lean staffing strategy, saying the two factors directly triggered the disorder.
Despite the two-year preparatory window before full Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) implementation, IndiGo inexplicably adopted a hiring freeze, entered non-poaching arrangements, maintained a pilot pay freeze through cartel-like behaviour, and demonstrated other short-sighted planning practices. Another pilots body, ALPA India has urged the DGCA to actively consider the adequacy of pilots available with airlines when granting slots and approving schedules, particularly in the context of transitioning to the recently introduced Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS).
ALPA India highlighted that the recent flight cancellations have raised serious questions about airline management, regulatory oversight by the DGCA, and fairness in the market. Although all carriers, including IndiGo, were aware of the revised FDTL norms issued by the DGCA in January 2024, with phased implementation starting later in the year, many began preparations late and failed to adjust crew rosters at least 15 days in advance as required, ALPA India said.
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