Chaos at airports: In the wake of IndiGo cancelling flights, the travel plans of hundreds of passengers were disrupted. File photo
DGCA scraps new pilot rest rules after IndiGo cancellation chaos
The aviation regulator reversed the weekly roster norm designed to curb pilot fatigue, days after the budget carrier cancelled over 1,000 flights nationwide.
After the mass cancellations of flights by IndiGo Airlines leading to complete chaos and disruptions at airports, the DGCA has now decided to withdraw its new pilot rest norms.
On Friday (December 5), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has withdrawn the new weekly roster norm about weekly rest for pilots designed to curb pilot fatigue, after IndiGo was forced to cancel over 1,000 flights over a period of four days from various airports.
The cancellations have affected major hubs, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, where hundreds of departures and arrivals were cancelled in rapid succession.
Operational challenges
Also read: IndiGo chaos deepens as pilot-fatigue crisis and lean-manning strategy collide
On Thursday, IndiGo acknowledged before regulators that its collapse was the result of “misjudgment and planning gaps” in adapting to the fatigue rules, despite having two years to prepare. The fallout drove its on-time performance (OTP) to a record low of just 8.5%, a stunning setback for a carrier that controls 60% of India’s domestic market.
Record-breaking collapse
IndiGo runs more than 2,200 flights daily, almost twice the volume of Air India. In such a vast network, even the smallest planning slip can snowball into chaos: a 10 per cent disruption alone can ground 200-400 flights and leave thousands of passengers stranded.
More than 600 flights were cancelled nation-wide in just 48 hours, which was a record-breaking collapse for the 20-year-old airline.
Also read: IndiGo crisis escalates with suspension of all departing Delhi flights till midnight