New regulations governing pilot working hours triggered significant flight disruptions across India on Friday, with IndiGo airline bearing the brunt. Airports in Tamil Nadu's Trichy and Madurai were particularly affected, witnessing the cancellation of at least nine IndiGo services combined, leaving numerous passengers stranded and facing long delays.
Widespread Cancellations Hit Key Routes
The newly implemented Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules led to a domino effect on operations. At Trichy International Airport, authorities confirmed the cancellation of five IndiGo flights. This included two crucial international services to Singapore, the airport's busiest route, alongside domestic flights to Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai. A Delhi-to-Trichy service was also axed.
In Madurai, the situation was equally grim. Airport officials stated that four IndiGo flights were cancelled 'due to operational reasons.' The affected destinations were major metros: Hyderabad, Delhi, and Mumbai. Passengers endured a harrowing experience, with two flights delayed by over six hours and another two by more than two hours.
Passenger Ordeal and Stranded Travelers
The cancellations and delays caused considerable distress. Mahalakshmi Devan, traveling from Delhi with her family, shared her ordeal. Her 9 am departure from Madurai was first rescheduled to a flight via Chennai, which was delayed by two hours. Upon reaching Chennai, they were informed their connecting flight to Delhi was cancelled. "All other flight arrangements were expensive. We are forced to look at train options now," she said.
Many passengers, like Divya Khaneja, a lawyer from Varanasi, were left in the lurch without prior communication. "When I reached there, the flight was cancelled. There was no message, no communication," she said, demanding that IndiGo pay for alternate tickets and accommodation. Passengers bound for Trichy were similarly stranded at Delhi airport.
Airport sources confirmed that affected passengers were notified via SMS and assured of a full refund within 3 to 5 days. Authorities at both airports worked to manage crowding and provide updates.
Contrast with Other Airlines and Future Outlook
An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official noted that flights operated by other carriers, including SriLankan Airlines and Air India, departed on time, highlighting that the issue was largely confined to IndiGo. Interestingly, the airline's operations using ATR aircraft on routes like Trichy to Chennai were not severely impacted.
An official from Trichy airport expressed hope for a swift return to normalcy. "We are expecting domestic and international services to resume normalcy in the next two days. The cascading effect of cancellation of flights may subside gradually," the official stated.
The disruption coincided with wildly fluctuating airfares on other routes. For instance, a direct British Airways flight from Chennai to London was priced around Rs 36,000 (excluding taxes), while a ticket to Varanasi cost a staggering Rs 79,000, and a short hop to Goa soared to Rs 50,000.
