Widespread Disruption Across Major Airports
The operational crisis facing Indigo Airlines has extended into its seventh consecutive day, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and frustrated. On Monday, the airline cancelled more than 450 flights across India, causing chaotic scenes at major airports. The situation remains critical as the airline struggles to stabilize its schedule following a severe shortage of cockpit crew.
According to the latest reports, Delhi Airport was the hardest hit, with 134 cancellations (75 departures and 59 arrivals). Bengaluru followed closely with 127 cancellations, while Chennai and Hyderabad saw 71 and 77 flights grounded, respectively. Smaller airports were not spared either; Jammu reported 20 cancellations, Ahmedabad had 20 flights grounded, and Visakhapatnam saw 7 cancellations. By 10:30 AM, the total count of cancelled flights had already crossed the 456 mark, compounding the misery for travelers.
The Root Cause: FDTL Norms and Staff Shortage
The primary trigger for this massive disruption is the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. These government-mandated rules are designed to ensure pilots get adequate rest to prevent fatigue-related safety issues. However, the strict enforcement of these norms has exposed a significant shortage of available pilots for Indigo.
The airline management has stated that the crisis stems from the cockpit crew shortage following the full rollout of these rest protocols. While the intention of the norms is to enhance safety, the immediate impact has been a logistical nightmare. The sudden unavailability of crew members has forced the airline to ground hundreds of planes, as they simply do not have enough pilots to fly the scheduled routes legally.
Government Intervention and Massive Refunds
In response to the escalating crisis, the Civil Aviation Ministry has stepped in. The government has temporarily put a hold on the new FDTL rules to help the airline recover, with hopes that operations will normalize by December 10. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has emphasized that the responsibility lies with the airline, noting that the notification for these rules was issued a year ago, giving them ample time to prepare.
To mitigate the impact on passengers, the ministry has directed Indigo to accelerate the refund process. Officials report that refunds worth over ₹610 crore have already been processed for affected passengers. Additionally, caps on airfares have been introduced to prevent price gouging on alternative flights during this period of high demand.
Safety Concerns vs. Profitability
The crisis has also sparked a debate between pilot associations and airline management. Sagnik Banerjee, President of the Airline Pilots Association of India, has raised serious concerns, stating that flight safety is being compromised. He argued that airlines often prioritize profits over the well-being of their crew. According to the association, the new FDTL norms were necessary to combat fatigue, and ignoring them to maintain “on-time performance” poses a significant risk to passenger safety.
As the standoff continues, passengers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport. With the government’s intervention and the temporary relaxation of norms, the industry waits to see if Indigo can meet its deadline to restore normalcy by mid-week.
