New Delhi :
India’s largest airline IndiGo is facing a severe operational crisis after over 150 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, triggering widespread disruptions for thousands of passengers across major airports. The cancellations come amid the enforcement of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, which took effect on November 1.
IndiGo issued a public apology acknowledging the distress caused to travelers and warned that more cancellations may continue until Friday as the airline works to stabilize operations.
DGCA’s New Duty-Time Rules Expose IndiGo’s Crew Shortage
The new FDTL regulations, designed to reduce pilot and cabin crew fatigue and improve flight safety, have significantly strained IndiGo’s staffing capacity. The airline has been grappling with a critical crew shortage, making compliance difficult.
Under the revised FDTL norms:
Crew cannot fly more than 8 hours per day
Weekly flying capped at 35 hours
Monthly limit: 125 hours
Annual limit: 1,000 hours
Pilots cannot perform more than two landings during night hours
Crew members cannot be assigned back-to-back night duties
These limits require airlines to deploy larger rosters to maintain schedules—something IndiGo is currently unable to do.
Due to the escalating disruptions, the DGCA summoned IndiGo’s top management to explain the airline’s handling of the situation and the sudden spike in cancellations.
IndiGo Issues Apology, Cites Multiple Factors
In its official statement, IndiGo acknowledged that its network had been “severely affected for the past two days,” apologizing for the inconvenience caused.
The airline attributed the disruptions to a combination of:
Crew shortages
Technical issues
Adverse weather conditions
Increased passenger loads
Enforcement of the new DGCA FDTL norms
The airline said it is working to normalize schedules within the next 48 hours, but urged passengers to stay prepared for further disruptions.
Passengers Face Widespread Chaos
Airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad saw long queues, delayed departures, and sudden last-minute cancellations. Several passengers reported missing connecting flights and long waits for refunds or rebookings.
Travel experts warn that IndiGo’s dependence on tight staffing margins, combined with the immediate rollout of stricter FDTL rules, has created an “unprecedented stress test” for the airline.
The DGCA is expected to continue monitoring the situation closely as the busy holiday travel season approaches.
