Indian operator IndiGo Airlines is currently facing an armageddon, with a large portion of its fleet grounded and thousands of flights cancelled due to new regulations the carrier wasn’t prepared for.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers were caught blindsided and unable to commence or conclude their journeys as flights were cancelled or heavily delayed by the carrier following new pilot rest rules.
You can access IndiGo on their website here and check for the current status.
The new pilot duty rules in India mandate that pilots can only make two night-time landings per week, down from six previously. This threw IndiGo into chaos as their schedules are apparently relies heavily around night flights.
Since this whole situation started five days ago, IndiGo has scrambled and, according to their own account, tried to both minimize damage and get operations back under control, but so far it hasn’t worked.
There are many airlines in India, and so far, Indigo is the only airline that has faced the issues described here. All other carriers operate normally and have used the time since they were given notice to adhere to the new rules.
According to Reuters, IndiGo management has appealed to the government and has received a temporary exemption from the new rules to regain control of the network.
Air travel across India was in turmoil for a fourth day on Friday after IndiGo cancelled more than 1,000 flights, including all departures from New Delhi, prompting the government to announce special relief measures for the country’s largest airline.
In a bid to improve air travel safety, Indian authorities have introduced new stricter regulations limiting pilot flying times and placing tighter restrictions on their operation of night-time flights.
But IndiGo admitted it failed to plan properly ahead of a November 1 deadline for the measures’ introduction. With air travel now approaching its December peak, that has forced widespread flight cancellations this week that have stranded thousands of travellers.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologized to the airline’s customers in his first public remarks since the crisis began, adding: “I do understand that these disruptions … have shaken (customers’) belief in IndiGo’s reliability.”
Elbers added that it would take some time to return to a “full, normal situation”, and that it was anticipated this could be between December 10-15. …
Following a request by IndiGo, India’s civil aviation authorities granted it a temporary exemption from some of the new rules on Friday to help it deal with the crisis.
The head of India’s aviation regulator appealed to pilots for cooperation during the crisis, stressing that the body was committed to implementing the pilot rest and duty rules in ‘letter and spirit.’
IndiGo had earlier told Indian officials that it did not expect to fully restore operations until February 10, though on Friday it said there should be “progressive improvement” from Saturday.
Other major Indian airlines, including Air India and Akasa, have not had to cancel flights due to the new rules. …
At many airports across the country, crowds of stranded passengers voiced their frustrations, aggressively arguing with staff.
Social media platforms and local media were flooded with videos of angry travellers.
“Down with IndiGo! Down with IndiGo!” a video post on X showed a group of passengers at Bengaluru airport shouting. …
Indeed, the situation is more than tense. Based on what is visible on social media and YouTube, one could even say the situation is explosive, and Indians are rather passionate when things don’t go their way.
Do yourself a favor and watch this video while challenging yourself not to laugh or even cry based on the reactions of the passengers.
Emotions are laid bare here. It’s crazy what is going on at these airports, but directing the anger to frontline personnel is not helpful and counterproductive. These airport agents can’t do anything for you and they aren’t at fault for the situation.
It makes absolutely no sense to scream at a counter agent. Try to see if another airline is available and rebook it yourself, then apply for a refund. In the worst case, your trip ain’t happening.
Indigo’s CEO has posted this video message on X to try and calm the affected passengers (it ain’t working).
There have also been a range of waivers issued:
Apparently (according to social media posts) when passengers attempt a cancellation or rebooking on the website, they (IndiGo) are still being charged fees. This is total incompetence!
The airline and management are being lambasted online with people screaming for compensation and heads on a platter.
This being India, I don’t think any compensation will be forthcoming here unless the government mandates something.
Conclusion
Following a change in India’s aviation regulations concerning the night duty of pilots, IndiGo was caught totally off guard due to a lack of preparation, and now the entire operation has melted down with thousands of flights cancelled for four days in a row.
The airlines’ mass cancellations and delays have affected way over a hundred thousand passengers at this point, and there is no end in sight.
I would expect that other carriers are also booked solid now. If you need urgent transportation, do not rely on IndiGo; use their waiver and cancel. Booking something new at your own expense is the best options right now.