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IndiGo cancelled more than 180 flights across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru on Thursday as a severe crew shortage continued following the rollout of new pilot duty and rest norms. Mumbai saw 86 cancellations, Bengaluru 73 and Delhi 33, with more expected. The disruption pushed IndiGo's on-time performance down to 19.7% across major airports. The DGCA has launched an investigation and asked the airline to explain the disruptions and outline its recovery plan. Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Pilots criticised IndiGo for enforcing a hiring freeze despite having time to prepare for the updated rules and urged the regulator to approve schedules only for airlines with adequate crew.
IndiGo cancelled more than 180 flights across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru on Thursday as the airline continued to grapple with a severe crew shortage triggered by the rollout of new flight-duty and rest-period norms for pilots. Advertisement
According to sources, Mumbai saw 86 cancellations (41 arrivals and 45 departures), Bengaluru logged 73 cancellations (including 41 arrivals), and Delhi recorded 33 cancellations for the day, with numbers expected to rise further.
The disruption has sharply impacted IndiGo's punctuality. The airline's On-Time Performance (OTP) dropped to 19.7%across six major airports on December 3-down from 35% the previous day. Sources said the airline has been facing an 'acute crew shortage' since the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms took effect, resulting in widespread delays and cancellations.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation and asked IndiGo to explain the reasons for the ongoing disruptions, along with its plan to stabilise operations.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has criticised IndiGo for imposing a 'hiring freeze' despite having two years to prepare for the updated FDTL rules. The pilots' body has urged the DGCA not to approve airlines' seasonal schedules unless they have sufficient crew to operate safely and reliably under the new norms.
In a letter to the regulator, FIP also recommended reallocating flight slots to airlines capable of operating them without disruptions during the peak holiday and fog season, should IndiGo fail to meet its commitments to passengers.
Source: PTI
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