Govt regulator withdraws pilot rest norms as IndiGo cancellation chaos persists
The DGCA withdrawal comes after more than 1,000 IndiGo flights have been cancelled over the past four days from various Airports.
Following the chaos caused by Indio flight cancellations at various airports, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) withdrew the new weekly roster norm about weekly rest for pilots on Friday.
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This comes after more than 1,000 IndiGo flights have been cancelled over the past four days. The cancellations have affected major hubs, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, where hundreds of departures and arrivals have been scrapped in rapid succession.
“In view of the ongoing operational disruptions and representations received from various airlines regarding the need to ensure continuity and stability of operations, the instruction contained in the referenced paragraph that no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect," DGCA said in a notification.
IndiGo has cancelled all its flights from Delhi until midnight and from Chennai until 6 PM. The Gurugram-based airline has attributed the chaos to a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges,” including minor technical glitches, winter schedule changes, congestion, and adverse weather conditions.
However, aviation insiders and regulators agree that the real blow came from the implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) - new crew rest and duty-hour rules designed to prevent pilot fatigue.
On Thursday, the carrier admitted to aviation regulators that its operational meltdown stemmed from “misjudgment and planning gaps” in adapting to crew fatigue rules it had two years to prepare for, as its on-time performance (OTP) fell to a historic low of 8.5%. IndiGo commands 60% of India’s domestic market.
The IndiGO chaos
IndiGo operates over 2,200 flights a day, nearly double the number of flights operated by Air India. A tiny lapse in planning can become an enormous meltdown: Even a 10% disruption means 200–400 flights are affected, and thousands are stranded.
135 departures and 90 arrivals were cancelled in Delhi alone on Friday. Bengaluru Airport reported 52 arrivals and 50 departures scrapped, while Hyderabad logged 92 cancellations the same day.
Nationwide, more than 600 flights were cancelled in just 48 hours - a record-breaking collapse for the 20-year-old airline.
