IndiGo Faces Flight Cancellations Amid Controversial Duty Norms Adjustments

Flight Disruptions Hit IndiGo

Mumbai: IndiGo, a prominent domestic airline, has cancelled more than 200 flights originating from Delhi and Mumbai on Saturday. This decision follows a temporary easing of the newly mandated flight duty and rest period regulations for cockpit crew, as per court directives.

Out of the cancelled flights, 109 were at Mumbai airport, comprising 51 arrivals and 58 departures, while 106 flights were affected at Delhi airport, including 54 departures and 52 arrivals.

On Friday, IndiGo had already cancelled over 1,000 flights across various airports. After three days of silence regarding the crisis, CEO Pieter Elbers issued a video apology for the significant inconvenience caused to travelers.

In his message, Elbers indicated that the airline anticipated operating fewer than 1,000 flights on Saturday.

Notably, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) provided temporary relief to IndiGo, which is partly owned by Rahul Bhatia, by adjusting the night duty definition from 12 am-6 am to 12 am-5 am and permitting pilots to conduct six night landings instead of two.

However, the Airlines’ Pilots Association (ALPA) India has expressed strong disapproval of the DGCA's selective relief measures, arguing that these changes compromise regulatory fairness and increase risks for millions of passengers.

Following a meeting led by the Ministry of Civil Aviation with ALPA India and other pilot groups on December 5, the Ministry decided to suspend the implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) regulations.

ALPA India voiced serious concerns that this suspension contradicts court orders aimed at enforcing fatigue-mitigation standards based on aviation science, stating that delaying these protections jeopardizes both pilots and passengers.

The association urged the Civil Aviation Ministry and the regulator to adhere to the court's directives and prioritize safety over commercial interests.

It's important to note that IndiGo was the first airline to contest the new FDTL regulations when they were introduced in January 2024, arguing that more time was needed to comply due to additional crew requirements. The updated FDTL rules, which include extended weekly rest periods and a reduction in night landings, faced initial opposition from domestic airlines, including IndiGo and Tata Group's Air India.

Despite this, the DGCA implemented these regulations following directives from the Delhi High Court, albeit with a delay of over a year and with specific adjustments for airlines like IndiGo and Air India.

The first phase of these FDTL regulations took effect in July, while the second phase, which limited night landings from six to two, was enforced starting November 1.

Originally, these norms were scheduled for implementation in March 2024.