New DGCA rules have left IndiGo Airlines short of crew members, resulting in hundreds of flight cancellations over the past four days. On Friday, over 1,000 flights were cancelled, forcing passengers to wait up to 20 hours at airports. The CEO apologised and expects normal operations to resume between December 10 and 15.
IndiGo Airlines, holding 64% of India's domestic market and operating 2,300 flights daily, is reeling from new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules fully effective from November 1. These mandate 48 hours of weekly rest after seven consecutive workdays, a maximum of two night landings per duty, no more than two consecutive night shifts, 24 hours rest after long flights, and night shifts limited to midnight to 6 a.m.
Lack of preparation in implementing these led to a sudden crew shortage, disrupting operations amid the winter schedule starting October 26. December 5 saw the worst impact with over 1,000 cancellations. All departures from Delhi were suspended, all domestic flights from Chennai cancelled, and Bengaluru to Delhi/Mumbai routes hit. Other airports reported cancellations: 19 at Ahmedabad, 6 at Thiruvananthapuram, and 102 at Bengaluru's Kempegowda.
Passengers faced severe hardship; at Chennai airport, those with medical emergencies and weddings were stranded amid anger and confusion. Airfares surged up to 10 times, such as Delhi-Jaipur at 88,000 rupees and Kolkata-Mumbai at 90,000 rupees. Tickets on other airlines also spiked.
CEO Pieter Elbers said in a video message, "Earlier measures of the last few days have proven not to be enough. So we decided today for a reboot of all our systems and schedules, resulting in the highest number of cancellations so far, but imperative for progressive improvements starting tomorrow onwards." He apologised and anticipated normalcy between December 10-15. The DGCA granted FDTL exemptions until February 10 and formed a four-member committee to probe deficiencies in oversight and compliance.
The crisis prompted Indian Railways to add 116 coaches to 37 premium trains, while charter jet demand rose fivefold. Weather, technical glitches, and air traffic congestion exacerbated the issues.