IndiGo flights have not yet returned to normal at many airports across the country, leading to frequent delays and cancellations. For the seventh consecutive day, flight cancellations continued on a large scale, causing inconvenience to IndiGo passengers at major airports. A crisis of such a large scale has never been seen before in the history of air travel in India. On Monday, around 350 IndiGo flights were canceled at different airports. Today, 134 flights (75 departures and 59 arrivals) were canceled at Delhi Airport alone. Meanwhile, 127 flights were canceled at Bengaluru airport. Twenty flights were canceled in Ahmedabad and seven flights in Visakhapatnam. A lot of problems were also seen at other major airports including Mumbai and Kolkata. As of 9:30 am, a total of 289 canceled flights had been confirmed.
The country’s largest airline had canceled more than 650 flights on Sunday, although this number is less than more than 1000 cancellations two days earlier. According to officials, ticket refunds worth more than Rs 610 crore have been issued to the affected passengers. According to the company, the crisis was primarily caused by a cockpit crew shortage following the full implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules (government regulations on pilot rest). This led to mass cancellations and complete chaos at major airports.
Government intervention and pressure for refund
The government then intervened and temporarily suspended the rules. Although it is still uncertain when the crisis will be completely resolved, it is expected that operations will return to normal by December 10. The civil aviation ministry has taken several steps, including directing airlines to impose a cap on airfares and speed up the refund process. The ministry had issued an ultimatum to IndiGo, following which the company processed refunds of Rs 610 crore by Saturday, which reached 3,000 affected passengers. Meanwhile, a high-level inquiry into the crisis has been launched.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu clarified that the responsibility lies with the airline, as the pilot duty guidelines were issued a year ago. On Sunday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) gave IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers and accountable manager Isidro Porqueras an additional 24 hours (till 6 pm on Monday) to respond to the show-cause notice.
Delhi Airport Passenger Advisory
Delhi Airport (IGI) has advised passengers to check the latest status of their flights before arriving at the airport. The airport said its teams are working with all stakeholders to minimize disruptions. Delhi Airport’s advisory read, “IndiGo flights may still be delayed. Passengers are requested to check the latest flight status from their airline before arriving at the airport to avoid any inconvenience. Our team is working closely with all concerned parties to minimize disruptions and ensure smooth travel experience for passengers. For any assistance including medical support, please contact the Information Counter where our on-ground staff is ready to help.”