Indian airline, IndiGo, has delayed or cancelled hundreds of flights over the past two days due to new pilot rest and duty-hour regulations. Now more flights have been delayed or even cancelled on Thursday, the third day of chaos.
On Wednesday (December 3), the airline cancelled 150 flights, and at least 175 flights have been cancelled as of early Thursday (December 4), leaving passengers at major airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Bengaluru stranded, as per media reports.
Passengers are Frustrated and Upset
Passengers from major cities hit by the disruption have been venting their frustrations over social media. Many say they received little or no prior intimation about changes to their flights, and many have been stuck in airports for over hours.
IndiGo has released a statement about the delays and cancellations, saying it apologises to customers for the inconvenience caused.
“A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations) had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated”
New FDTL regulations implemented
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) implemented the latest Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) from November 1, following a Delhi High Court mandate.
The FDTL rules determine how long pilots can be on duty, how many hours they can fly, how many night landings they may perform, and the minimum rest they must receive. The DGCA revised these limits in January 2024 after reviewing reports and global standards.
The new norms, implemented in two phases, one in July and the final one in November, were: to lengthen weekly rest, extend the definition of night, and place stricter caps on night operations to reduce fatigue-related safety risks.
The Federation of Indian Pilots said IndiGo were not able to make timely roster adjustments and plan its schedule properly due to the new rules that aimed to improve safety.
However, in light of this, other airlines, including Air India, Spicejet and Akasa, have not had to cancel flights and were able to implement the DGCA new regulations, as per reports.
In November, 1,232 flights were cancelled, which has prompted the DGCA to investigate the situation.
Have you been affected by the delays and disruptions? Share your experience in the comments.
