IndiGo Faces Major Flight Disruptions, Over 300 Cancellations Reported
Significant Flight Cancellations by IndiGo
Mumbai, Dec 4: IndiGo, the largest airline in India, has cancelled more than 300 flights across domestic and international routes as operational issues persist for a third consecutive day, affecting numerous travelers.
Many flights have also experienced delays at various airports due to crew shortages and scheduling adjustments, which have impacted the airline's reputation for punctuality.
Following a significant drop in its On Time Performance (OTP) to 19.7% from 35% on December 2, IndiGo continues to struggle with disruptions, with over 300 cancellations reported by the afternoon.
At the Delhi airport alone, 95 flights were cancelled, while 85 were affected at Mumbai, 70 at Hyderabad, and 50 at Bangalore, along with additional cancellations at other locations, according to sources.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is set to meet with IndiGo officials to address the ongoing situation.
In the stock market, IndiGo shares fell by over 3%, trading at Rs 5,417.90 on the BSE.
On Wednesday, the DGCA announced an investigation into the flight disruptions and requested IndiGo to provide explanations for the current issues, along with strategies to mitigate cancellations and delays.
The airline has reportedly been experiencing a severe crew shortage since the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations was implemented.
While no official statement was released by IndiGo on Thursday, the airline acknowledged on Wednesday that a "multitude of unforeseen operational challenges" had significantly disrupted its operations over the past two days, and it expressed apologies to affected passengers.
IndiGo is currently working on adjusting its schedules to restore normal operations.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has criticized IndiGo for implementing a "hiring freeze" despite having a two-year preparation period before the full enforcement of the new flight duty and rest period regulations.
The pilots' association has urged the DGCA to refrain from approving seasonal flight schedules for airlines unless they have sufficient staff to operate safely and reliably under the new FDTL regulations.
The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) has pointed out that the operational issues at IndiGo highlight a lack of proactive resource planning by major airlines, suggesting there may be attempts to influence the DGCA to relax the new flight duty time limitations.
In a statement on Wednesday, IndiGo cited various challenges, including "minor technology glitches, schedule changes due to the winter season, adverse weather, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (FDTL)" as contributing factors to the operational difficulties.