IndiGo hires veteran aviation expert to investigate flight disruptions
What's the story
IndiGo has hired Chief Aviation Advisors LLC to investigate the recent operational disruption that led to mass flight cancellations. The decision was taken after a recommendation from the airline's Crisis Management Group (CMG). Captain John Illson, a veteran aviation expert with over four decades of experience in global air transport, will lead this independent review.
Investigation goals
Review to identify root causes and improvement opportunities
The main aim of the review is to conduct an independent root cause analysis of the recent operational disruption and identify opportunities for improvement. The airline said, "With the Board's approval now in place, the review will begin at the earliest." It added that Captain Illson has extensive expertise in global aviation strategy, customized consulting, safety leadership, setting international standards and new aircraft technologies.
Crisis impact
Operational crisis led to thousands of flight cancellations
IndiGo faced a major operational crisis last week, resulting in numerous flight cancellations. Major airports such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai were severely congested with long queues and significant passenger inconvenience. The airline blamed regulatory changes in pilots' flight duty times for the disruption.
Regulatory changes
New FDTL norms triggered operational disruption
The new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, mandated longer weekly rest periods to 48 hours, extended night hours and capped night landings to two instead of six earlier. These were initially opposed by domestic airlines including IndiGo and Tata Group-owned Air India. However, they were later implemented by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in a phased manner following Delhi High Court's directives.