IndiGo chaos continues as several flights canceled amid crew shortage
What's the story
The IndiGo Airlines chaos continued for the third consecutive day on Thursday as it canceled 73 flights at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport. The cancelations included 41 arrivals and 32 departures. Over 30 flights that were scheduled to depart from Delhi were also canceled, and Hyderabad saw about 33 flight cancellations. The disruptions have been attributed to crew shortages and unforeseen operational challenges such as technology glitches and weather conditions.
Operational issues
IndiGo's operational challenges lead to widespread cancellations
IndiGo, India's largest airline, has been facing operational disruptions for three consecutive days. The chaos has affected flights across major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. Sources told NDTV that over 170 flights were likely to be canceled on Thursday alone. On Wednesday alone, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad collectively reported about 200 cancellations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is investigating these disruptions and has called airline officials for a meeting on Thursday.
Regulatory scrutiny
DGCA investigates IndiGo's flight disruptions, seeks explanations
The DGCA is probing the reasons behind the flight disruptions and has sought explanations from IndiGo. The regulator highlighted that in November alone, 1,232 flights were canceled, with 755 due to crew and Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) constraints. The new FDTL norms require longer rest hours for pilots, which have contributed to the crew shortage at IndiGo.
Airline apology
IndiGo's response to disruptions and passenger inconvenience
IndiGo has acknowledged the operational disruptions and apologized to customers for the inconvenience. "A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations) had a negative compounding impact on our operations," an IndiGo spokesperson said. The airline is offering alternate travel arrangements or refunds to affected passengers.