IndiGo chaos to continue through Saturday? CEO shares key update
What's the story
IndiGo, India's largest airline, is grappling with a major operational crisis. The airline has canceled over 1,000 flights on Friday alone, accounting for more than half of its scheduled departures. The disruption started on Tuesday when IndiGo began canceling flights at an unprecedented rate due to crew shortages. On Friday afternoon, it canceled all departures from New Delhi Airport (DEL), the busiest in India. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers expects fewer than 1,000 flights to be canceled on Saturday.
Apology and assurance
CEO Elbers addresses flight cancelations and future plans
In light of the massive flight disruptions, Elbers has apologized for the inconvenience caused. He has also assured that services will be fully restored between December 10 and 15. Despite the current crisis, Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport has announced that IndiGo flight operations are returning to normal after a brief disruption.
Regulatory response
Government intervenes to ease IndiGo's operational challenges
The Indian government has stepped in to ease IndiGo's operational challenges by temporarily suspending new pilot duty time rules. The airline has attributed the disruption to "unforeseen operational challenges." These include minor tech glitches, winter schedule changes, congestion, and weather conditions. However, aviation insiders and regulators believe that the real issue was the implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), a new crew rest and duty-hour rules aimed at preventing pilot fatigue.
New regulations
FDTL rules and their impact on IndiGo's operations
The FDTL rules, initially introduced in January 2024 but enforced recently, mandate 48 hours of weekly rest for crew members (up from 36 hours), a longer night duty window (midnight to 6:00am), and a cap of eight flying hours during night operations. These restrictions have forced many IndiGo pilots into compulsory rest just as the airline was ramping up its winter schedule.
Rule relaxation
DGCA relaxes FDTL rules amid ongoing operational disruptions
On Friday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) relaxed a stringent clause in the new FDTL rules that said "no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest." The decision was taken in light of ongoing operational disruptions and after representations from airlines desperate to restore stability. The change has been implemented with immediate effect, giving some relief to carriers trying to re-roster crew and restart flights.