India's largest airline, IndiGo, faced a severe operational crisis for the third consecutive day on Thursday, with the cancellation of more than 180 flights across the nation. This widespread disruption has left thousands of passengers stranded at major airports, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru.
What Triggered the Mass Cancellations?
The airline has pointed to a combination of factors, including stricter government rules on pilot fatigue, adverse weather, and technical issues. The new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, which mandate longer rest periods and tighter night operation limits, came into full effect on November 1. IndiGo stated that these "stricter flight duty time limits" contributed to the cancellations.
However, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) argued that IndiGo failed to adequately recalibrate its pilot rosters in preparation for the new rules, despite having ample notice. The cascading effect led to an estimated 150+ cancellations on Wednesday, escalating to over 180 by Thursday morning.
Allegations of 'Artificially Created' Disruptions
In a sharp accusation, Captain Sam Thomas, President of the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India), claimed the crisis is partly "artificially created" by airlines. He alleged that carriers, particularly IndiGo, are deliberately causing operational slowdowns to pressure the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) against regulatory tightening.
"Anytime rules that are promulgated are not in favour of the airlines, they, like spoiled children, tend to delay flights, bring in disruptions causing a lot of public inconvenience so as to put pressure on the ministry or the DGCA in order to get their way," Capt Thomas told PTI. He criticized the Indian system for prioritizing schedule reliability over crew rest, calling it an outlier globally where "passenger convenience takes preference over passenger safety."
Mounting Pressure and Future Risks
The parent company of IndiGo, InterGlobe Aviation, saw its shares fall 3.4% on Thursday, marking a 6% decline for the week. With IndiGo commanding over 60% of the domestic market, prolonged instability threatens the wider aviation ecosystem.
Capt Thomas warned that the situation could worsen with the onset of winter fog in northern India, amplifying fatigue-related risks. He also accused IndiGo of publishing "fictitious" shorter flight schedules to artificially boost on-time performance claims, a practice he labeled fraudulent and one the DGCA is now examining.
The DGCA is currently scrutinizing the scale of cancellations and the airline's preparedness. ALPA India has urged regulators not to succumb to pressure from airlines. Passengers are advised to check their flight status before heading to airports, as delays and cancellations are expected to persist in the near term.
