India's largest airline, IndiGo, is facing severe operational turmoil, with hundreds of flights delayed or cancelled over the past two days. The massive disruption stems from the airline's struggle to adapt to new pilot rest and duty-hour regulations implemented by the aviation regulator over a month ago.
Network in Disarray: Apology and Extended Disruptions
The carrier, which operates approximately 2,300 flights daily across domestic and international routes, acknowledged the crisis on Wednesday. It cited a "multitude of unforeseen operational challenges" that severely impacted its network. IndiGo issued an apology to affected passengers and warned that the disruptions are likely to continue for the next 48 hours. The scale of the issue was starkly visible on Tuesday, when only three out of every ten flights managed to depart on schedule, a significant blow for an airline that prides itself on punctuality.
The Root Cause: New DGCA Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL)
The core of the problem lies in the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms enforced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) from November 1. These rules were mandated by the Delhi High Court following serious complaints of pilot fatigue across Indian airlines. The key changes include:
- Increasing weekly rest periods for pilots to 48 hours.
- Extending night duty hours but capping night landings.
- Limiting the number of landings a pilot can perform between 12 am and 6 am to just two per week, down from the previous six.
Despite heavy lobbying by IndiGo and other carriers like Air India for a postponement, the DGCA implemented the rules with only minor relaxations. The rollout was phased, with the final phase restricting night landings taking effect on November 1.
Strategic Misstep and Mounting Pressure
Data reveals that almost 62% of the 1,232 flights IndiGo cancelled in November were due to "crew constraints." Sources indicate the airline failed to recruit additional pilots or ramp up training adequately in anticipation of the new norms, which were known well in advance. This left the existing crew overextended, dealing with frequent reassignments, longer hours, and increased deadheading.
An official involved in crew planning told ET, "IndiGo has always maintained around 4 per cent crew as a buffer for extraordinary situations. With the increased requirement of crew due to the new rules, the buffer is zero... Not planning accordingly was a strategic mistake."
The airline's on-time performance (OTP) plummeted from 84.1% in October to 67.7% in November. Compounding the crew shortage are fleet issues; IndiGo's owned fleet grew by only 24 aircraft in the past year, hampered by slow Airbus deliveries and the grounding of over 40 planes due to Pratt & Whitney engine problems.
IndiGo stated it has initiated "calibrated adjustments" to its schedule to restore stability. A spokesperson attributed the disruptions to a combination of technology glitches, adverse weather, airport congestion, and the new duty rules. As the airline scrambles to re-stabilise its operations, passengers are left bearing the brunt of this perfect storm in Indian aviation.
