Govt orders probe as IndiGo disruptions likely to ease in three days

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Friday (December 5) said that IndiGo’s flight operations are likely to return to normalcy from the ongoing disruption in the next three days in view of various operational measures, including keeping new flight duty norms in abeyance.

Centre orders probe

The Centre has also decided to initiate a high-level inquiry to ascertain the reasons and accountability for the IndiGo disruptions that have resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations and delays in the past four days.

Also Read: DGCA eases pilot fatigue-protection rules as IndiGo crisis deepens

Naidu further stated that the Civil Aviation Ministry has taken urgent and proactive measures to address the ongoing disruption in flight schedules, particularly those of Indigo airlines.

"The Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) orders of the DGCA have been placed in abeyance with immediate effect. Without compromising on air safety, this decision has been taken solely in the interest of passengers, especially senior citizens, students, patients, and others who rely on timely air travel for essential needs," he said.

'Operational measures initiated'

Nadu also said that the operational measures have been initiated to ensure that normal airline services are restored at the earliest.

"Based on the immediate implementation of these directives, we expect that flight schedules will begin to stabilise and return to normal by tomorrow. We anticipate that complete restoration of services will be achieved within the next three days," he added.

DGCA withdraws key clause from order

Earlier in the day, the DGCA withdrew a central weekly-rest safeguard for airline crews, removing the clause that barred operators from substituting leave for the mandated day off. With this line deleted, airlines regain the ability to stretch rosters in ways the earlier rule was designed to prevent.

Also Read: IndiGo chaos deepens as pilot-fatigue crisis and lean-manning strategy collide

The regulator’s revision effectively reverses a key fatigue-mitigation measure introduced under the updated FDTL regime, which sought to ensure pilots and cabin crew received uninterrupted rest each week.

Pilots' bodies express concern

Pilot bodies argue that reinstating this flexibility reopens long-standing loopholes that contributed to chronic exhaustion in Indian cockpits and undermines the scientific basis of the fatigue framework.

Also Read: IndiGo flies into more trouble as over 300 flights cancelled across India

They contend the timing of the rollback, issued amid widespread disruptions and staffing shortages, signals a shift driven more by operational pressure than by safety considerations.

The change has intensified concerns that regulatory consistency is being compromised at a moment when fatigue protections are most needed.

(With agency inputs)