Major Flight Disruption at Pune Airport
Over 100 passengers traveling to Delhi found themselves stranded at Pune airport for approximately three hours on Tuesday morning due to an unexpected operational issue. The disruption occurred when the captain of an IndiGo aircraft refused to operate the flight, citing flight duty time limitations (FDTL) that had expired.
Passenger Frustration Mounts
Nitu Bapna, one of the affected passengers on IndiGo flight 6E 2285, confirmed the situation to Times of India, stating "The captain is not flying the aircraft, and we are waiting at the airport now." The passenger expressed significant frustration about the lack of prior information and unnecessary delay, later taking to social media platform X to voice concerns about the unacceptable handling of the situation.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart from Pune at 8:40 AM and arrive in Delhi at 11:00 AM. However, due to the pilot's refusal to fly, the aircraft eventually took off at 11:40 AM and reached its destination at 1:32 PM, resulting in a substantial delay that disrupted passengers' schedules.
Multiple Flights Affected
The problem wasn't isolated to just the Delhi-bound flight. An Amritsar-bound IndiGo flight (6E-721) experienced similar delays exceeding three hours during the early hours of Tuesday morning. This flight, which was supposed to take off at 2:55 AM, finally departed from Pune at 6:45 AM and landed in Amritsar at 8:40 AM instead of the scheduled 5:15 AM arrival time.
An anonymous IndiGo official described the situation as being caused by "operational reasons," while sources within the airline confirmed that the Delhi-bound aircraft's pilot had indeed refused to fly, necessitating arrangements for an alternative pilot. The Amritsar flight delay was attributed to both congestion issues and similar flight duty time limitation concerns.
Passenger Outcry and Safety Regulations
Delhi-bound passengers expressed considerable anger about the unexpected delay. One anonymous traveler revealed "I had to leave my home at 4:30 AM for this flight" and emphasized that passengers only learned about the delay upon reaching the airport. The traveler questioned the airline's planning, asking why the carrier hadn't anticipated the pilot's duty hour limitations and arranged appropriate coverage.
The incident highlights the ongoing implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which were fully enforced starting November 1. These regulations are designed to prevent pilot fatigue and prioritize flight safety, though they sometimes create operational challenges for airlines.
Another passenger acknowledged the importance of rest for pilots but criticized the airline's communication, stating "We tried to gather details from the airline, but there was no clarity. The airlines should definitely know about the duty hours of their pilots, and they should plan accordingly."
