India's aviation sector is facing severe turbulence as the country's largest carrier, IndiGo, grapples with an escalating operational crisis. The situation reached a critical point at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, where officials reported at least 19 flight cancellations and 154 delays within a 24-hour period. This widespread disruption has left thousands of passengers stranded and triggered a formal investigation by the aviation regulator.
What's Causing the IndiGo Meltdown?
The crisis is a perfect storm of multiple factors converging simultaneously. Airport authorities point to an acute shortage of crew members, particularly pilots, as the primary driver. This shortage has been significantly worsened by the recent implementation of stricter Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. These new rules mandate longer, mandatory rest periods for pilots, including a minimum weekly rest of 48 hours and restrictions on night landings. When combined with dense winter fog affecting schedules, these constraints have thrown IndiGo's high-frequency network into complete disarray.
IndiGo, which handles a dominant 66 per cent of flight operations at Kolkata's airport, acknowledged "significant disruption" due to unforeseen challenges. The airline cited a combination of technology glitches, winter schedule adjustments, adverse weather, airport congestion, and the updated crew rostering rules. The impact on its performance has been stark: its on-time performance plummeted to a mere 35 per cent on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
On the Ground: A Snapshot of the Kolkata Chaos
The scale of the disruption in Kolkata was detailed in an internal operational report. Between 12 noon and 8 am, a total of 24 IndiGo flights were impacted, comprising four cancellations and 20 delays, mostly for "operational" reasons. The cancelled flights included two arrivals from Bengaluru and departures to Mumbai and Delhi. Delays were widespread, affecting ten incoming flights from cities like Delhi, Singapore, and Bangkok, and fourteen outgoing flights to destinations including Guwahati, Haldia, Bhubaneswar, and Imphal.
The cascading effect of these disruptions has caused major frustration and inconvenience for passengers across the country, with airports becoming scenes of long queues and anxious travellers.
Regulatory Scrutiny and Wider Impact
In response to the "unprecedented disruptions," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a formal investigation. The regulator has summoned IndiGo's senior management to explain the causes behind the crisis and to outline concrete steps to stabilize its operations. This regulatory action underscores the severity of the situation.
The problem is not confined to a single day or airport. Data from the DGCA reveals a troubling trend for the airline. In the month of November 2024, IndiGo cancelled a staggering 1,232 flights. Of these, 755 cancellations were directly linked to crew and FDTL constraints. This operational breakdown caused the airline's overall on-time performance for November to drop sharply to 67.7 per cent, down from 84.1 per cent in October.
The ongoing crisis has also had a ripple effect on airfares, contributing to a spike in ticket prices on several key routes as capacity shrinks amidst high demand. The situation highlights the delicate balance within India's aviation ecosystem and the profound impact that regulatory changes and resource shortages can have on the nation's travel infrastructure.
