India's largest airline, IndiGo, is battling a severe operational crisis, with hundreds of flights cancelled over consecutive days due to a shortage of cabin crew and pilots. The airline has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it expects to restore normal operations by February 10, following widespread disruptions that have stranded thousands of passengers.
The Root of the Crisis: Planning Shortfalls and New Rules
The aviation regulator, DGCA, stated that the disruptions stemmed primarily from miscalculations and planning shortcomings during the implementation of Phase 2 of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. IndiGo acknowledged to the regulator that its actual crew requirement was significantly higher than initial estimates. The airline has now sought temporary relaxation of certain rules restricting pilots' nighttime duty hours to help manage the situation.
The scale of the disruption was stark on Thursday, when 550 IndiGo flights were cancelled, marking the fourth consecutive day of major operational hiccups. The chaos continued into Friday, with early morning flights from Delhi to Pune, including 6E 2343, 6E 2471, and 6E 6692, showing as cancelled on the airline's website.
Official Reactions and Market Impact
Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu convened a high-level meeting to assess the situation, instructing IndiGo to restore normalcy swiftly and ensure airfares are not inflated due to the cancellations. The government emphasized that all aspects of the airline's recovery and passenger support would be closely monitored.
In response, IndiGo issued a "heartfelt apology" to its passengers and stakeholders. CEO Pieter Elbers informed staff that restoring operations and punctuality would not be an "easy target." The financial markets reacted negatively, with shares of InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo's parent company, falling 3.4% on Thursday and nearly 6% over the week.
Pilot Bodies Point to Proactive Failure
Pilot unions have been critical of the airline's preparedness. The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) stated the crisis reflects a failure of proactive resource planning and suggested it might be an attempt to pressure the DGCA into relaxing the new FDTL rules. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) alleged that despite a two-year preparation window for the new norms, IndiGo had "inexplicably" imposed a hiring freeze.
To mitigate further passenger inconvenience, the DGCA has stated that IndiGo will scale back its operations from December 8. While the airline works towards its February 10 normalcy target, passengers are advised to check their flight status regularly as disruptions may continue in the coming days.
