India's largest airline, IndiGo, is grappling with one of its most severe operational crises in recent years, leading to massive travel disruption across the country. The low-cost carrier was forced to cancel at least 150 flights on Wednesday, with the chaos spilling over into Thursday morning, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and furious.
Passenger Nightmare: 12-Hour Waits and Missing Pilots
The scenes at airports, particularly in Pune, were described as chaotic. Social media became a venting ground for distressed travelers. One user, Shubham Sharma, documented the pandemonium at Pune airport, noting his flight to Delhi was delayed by over three and a half hours. He highlighted that many flyers had been waiting at the terminal for more than 12 hours.
The ordeal was personal for many. Sanjay Kalirona, CEO of Gizmoreindia, shared that his IndiGo flight 6E409 from Pune to Delhi, scheduled for a 2:45 AM departure, had still not taken off by 9:30 AM. "My daughter [has been] sitting in [the] plane for 2 hours. She was not well hence heading back home. It is complete chaos at [the] airport," he wrote.
In a bizarre incident, investor Anand Sridharan reported that his 7 AM flight was put on an indefinite hold because the captain was missing. "Officially, board says flight on time. Staff say Captain is missing, so flight is indefinitely late," he posted on X. After the captain was located about 30 minutes later, the first officer went missing, compounding the delay.
Skyrocketing Fares and Official Response
The cascading effect of IndiGo's cancellations was felt across the industry. Passengers trying to book last-minute tickets on other airlines faced exorbitant prices. One frustrated user pointed out that a Delhi-Mumbai ticket was costing the same as a Delhi-London fare, accusing other carriers of price gouging while IndiGo merely processed refunds.
Facing a public relations disaster, IndiGo issued an apology for the widespread inconvenience. The airline stated it has begun making "calibrated adjustments" to its flight schedules to stabilize operations. Meanwhile, the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has stepped in. The DGCA is examining the disruptions and has formally asked IndiGo to submit a detailed report explaining the causes behind this massive failure.
What Triggered the IndiGo Operational Meltdown?
According to an airline spokesperson, IndiGo's network has been "significantly disrupted for the past two days" due to a perfect storm of multiple issues. The primary causes identified include:
- Crew shortage issues linked to the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms that were implemented in November.
- Unforeseen technical glitches, including an urgent software patch required for its Airbus A320 fleet over the weekend of November 29-30.
- Adverse weather conditions in parts of the country.
- Heightened air traffic congestion at major airports.
The new FDTL rules, aimed at enhancing pilot rest and safety, have created roster management challenges for airlines. The mandatory software update for the A320 aircraft further strained an operation already struggling to adapt to the new crew scheduling requirements, ultimately leading to this system-wide breakdown.
