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IndiGo Faces Major Disruptions as Over 1,000 Flights Canceled Amid Pilot Rest Rule Hurdles
NEW DELHI – India’s most popular local airline, IndiGo, has grounded more than 1,000 flights since Tuesday, including all departures from New Delhi Airport on Friday, as the company grapples with a shortage of crew members and new pilot rest regulations.
The widespread cancellations have left millions of travelers stranded and frustrated, with videos circulating online of passengers chanting “IndiGo shame!” at airports.
IndiGo, which operates roughly 2,300 flights daily and carried 118 million passengers last year, has attributed the disruptions to a “reboot” of systems and schedules, as well as adverse weather conditions and technical glitches. However, the airline’s struggles to comply with new pilot rest rules, which went into effect last month after being announced two years ago, appear to be a primary factor.
The Indian Pilots Association has criticized IndiGo’s handling of the situation, stating that “all other airlines have provisioned pilots adequately and remain largely unaffected.” The union asserts that IndiGo’s cancellations are a “direct consequence of IndiGo’s prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy.”
In response to the escalating crisis, India’s aviation authority temporarily withdrew one of the pilot rest requirements on Friday to alleviate operational disruptions. However, aviation safety advocates, including C.S.
Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, emphasized that “you cannot compromise safety for commercial interest.” The government later affirmed that safety would not be jeopardized.
Authorities have mandated that IndiGo submit a comprehensive plan outlining crew recruitment, training, roster restructuring, safety-risk assessments, and other mitigation measures.
IndiGo has apologized for the inconvenience and is offering to waive cancellation and rescheduling fees for travel through December 15. The airline is also providing hotel accommodations and meals for passengers affected by the disruptions. IndiGo anticipates that operations will return to normal by February 10.