(Image source from: Deccanlive.com)
More than 200 IndiGo flights were canceled on Thursday throughout the nation as the biggest airline in the country is dealing with major operational issues. From the total number of canceled flights, at least 191 were in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad, causing chaos at the airports. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has called IndiGo officials for a discussion at 2 pm, as they are currently looking into the airline's troubles. However, the airline claimed it was not aware of any investigation by the regulator. The flight cancellations affected Delhi (95), Mumbai (85), Bengaluru (73), Hyderabad (68), Pune (16), Ahmedabad (five), and Kolkata (four). Sources at Delhi's IGI Airport reported that 95 IndiGo flights, which included 48 departures and 47 arrivals—both domestic and international—were canceled since morning. In Kolkata, 24 IndiGo flights, including 10 arrivals and 14 departures, faced delays due to operational issues. Out of these, two international flights were headed to Singapore and Siem Reap, Cambodia.
In Bengaluru, a representative for Kempegowda International Airport mentioned that 41 IndiGo arrivals and 32 departures were canceled on Thursday for operational reasons. In Pune, the Airport Director informed that eight IndiGo arrivals and eight departures were canceled, while currently, 11 planes are on the ground, and 19 are delayed by over an hour. These latest updates come as IndiGo is under increasing pressure to resolve the current chaos affecting travelers and schedules nationwide. On Wednesday, the airline canceled over 100 flights and caused many more delays at various airports due to consistent understaffing. The cancellations happened in Delhi (38), Bengaluru (42), Mumbai (33), and Hyderabad (19). In November, the airline reported 1,232 flight cancellations along with significant delays. Addressing the widespread disruptions, the airline, which manages about 2,300 flights both domestically and internationally each day, stated that a “variety of unexpected operational challenges” had greatly impacted its network in the past two days and apologized to customers for the trouble caused.
These challenges included small technology problems, schedule changes due to winter, bad weather, more congestion in the aviation sector, and the implementation of new crew scheduling rules, all of which combined to create an effect that the airline said was “not possible to predict.” Frustrated travelers turned to social media to highlight long delays and the lack of clear information. “My IndiGo flight has been delayed for many hours, and passengers are stuck without receiving any clear updates. I even have a video of people expressing their concerns,” one person wrote, urging the airline to take action. Another traveler from Ahmedabad expressed, “I am very disappointed with the service. Our flight has been delayed by 12 to 24 hours, and the staff is not providing proper help or clear solutions. Please take this seriously and offer immediate assistance.”
The problems with IndiGo are growing, affecting not just its operations but also those of other airlines. Several domestic carriers are facing issues due to the widespread cancellations and delays in IndiGo's flights at various airports. IndiGo planes occupying slots at different airports are making it hard for other airlines, leading to extra waiting times for them. Reports indicate that at Pune airport, the flights from Air India, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet have been delayed. Additionally, Air India is also having its own operational issues linked to the ongoing troubles with IndiGo. In a statement released today, IndiGo claimed it was unaware of any investigation the DGCA is conducting related to the flight troubles. "We want to state that the company is not aware of any investigation by the DGCA. However, the DGCA has asked for some information regarding this issue, and the Company is working on providing that," the airline mentioned.
On Wednesday, the aviation authority revealed that it had questioned the airline about its decline in performance in November and has initiated a formal investigation. The DGCA stated that it is "currently looking into the issue and trying to come up with solutions together with the airline to reduce cancellations and delays, to lessen the trouble faced by passengers." In light of this chaos, the Federation of India Pilots (FIP) criticized the airline for its hiring freeze and unusual staffing strategy, arguing that these two aspects are directly causing the current mess.
"The ongoing disruption is a direct result of IndiGo’s long-standing and unusual strategy of minimal staffing across various departments, especially in flight operations," said the pilots' group in a statement. "Even though there was a two-year period to prepare before fully implementing Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), IndiGo surprisingly decided to stop hiring, made non-poaching agreements, kept pilot salaries frozen through cartel-like practices, and displayed other short-sighted planning methods." Another pilots' organization, ALPA India, has called on the DGCA to take a closer look at whether airlines have enough pilots when granting slots and approving schedules, especially with the new Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) now in place.
ALPA India pointed out that the recent flight cancellations have raised serious concerns about how airlines are managed, the oversight from the DGCA, and the fairness in the market. Although all airlines, including IndiGo, were aware of the updated FDTL rules released by the DGCA in January 2024, with gradual implementation starting later in the year, many started planning late and did not adjust crew schedules at least 15 days ahead as required, ALPA India remarked. "While the new rules call for longer rest periods and other restrictions to combat pilot fatigue, they do not automatically mean that a larger total number of pilots is needed to keep up flight schedules."
