IndiGo continues to face disruptions
IndiGo continues to face disruptions in India due to multiple reasons. On Wednesday alone, over 200 flights were cancelled across different cities in India, sending waves of frustration among flyers. The airline has been facing significant disruptions for the past few days due to multiple reasons, as per their official statement.DGCA probed the delays and flight’s performance, asking the flight to submit a mitigation plan. The flight issued an apology acknowledging the disruptions, citing various “technology glitches and schedule changes.” They stated that they have initiated “calibrated adjustments”, which would take up to 48 hours to lead things back to normal, implying that passengers may expect delays and disruptions.Here are the top 10 key points about the issue.Massive flight cancellations & delaysMultiple major Indian cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad, were hit by a fresh wave of IndiGo flight cancellations as disruptions continued. On Wednesday, in Hyderabad alone, more than 40 arrivals and departures were cancelled, while in Kolkata, the airline scrapped both legs of at least 10 flights. Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru also saw over 42 IndiGo arrivals and departures cancelled, leaving several passengers stranded and adding to widespread frustration among flyers. On-time performance plungedIndiGo reported that it cancelled 1,232 flights during the period, attributing a significant portion of these disruptions to crew and Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) compliance issues, as well as airport, airspace and air traffic control constraints that are often outside an airline’s direct control. The carrier’s on-time performance also took a hit, slipping to 67.70 per cent in November compared with 84.1 per cent in October.Crew shortage Crew shortage was also cited by the airlines as the reason behind their grappling with the disruptions. “IndiGo has been facing acute crew shortage since the implementation of the second phase of the FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) norms, leading to cancellations and huge delays in its operations across the airports,” news agency PTI reports, citing airport sourcesRegulatory change in crew rostering rules (FDTL) is playing a key roleThe airline spokesperson, in a statement, issued an explanation regarding FDTL, which is majorly affecting the crew operations. They pointed out that stricter rest and duty-hour requirements have significantly reduced crew availability at short notice, forcing the airline to cancel or reschedule flights whenever reserve pilots or cabin crew cannot be rostered within the new limits.Operational issues, compounding troubles“Minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations) had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated,” IndiGo spokesperson said in a statement.Regulator DGCA has launches probeAviation watchdog DGCA has launched a probe into IndiGo’s ongoing flight disruptions and asked the airline to explain the causes of the current chaos as well as detail its plans to curb cancellations and delays. The regulator has also sought a concrete mitigation plan from the airline after days of disorder at multiple airports, where hundreds of flyers have reported severe inconvenience due to the operational meltdown.Huge backlog: cancellations even in November, before the current crisisThe performance report by the airlines highlights that in November alone, IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights, many due to crew/FDTL constraints. The airline, which operates more than 2,200 flights a day, recorded a punctuality rate of just 35 percent on December 2, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The regulator has summoned IndiGo to its headquarters to explain the factors behind the ongoing disruption and to outline concrete measures to address the continuing wave of delays and cancellations.IndiGo taking “calibrated adjustments” IndiGo acknowledged that its operations have been “significantly disrupted” across the network over the past two days and issued a public apology to affected passengers, saying it “sincerely” regrets the inconvenience caused. The airline said it has put in place “calibrated adjustments” to its schedules for the next 48 hours in a bid to contain the disruption, restore stability and gradually improve punctuality across the network. It added that teams are working round the clock to ease passenger distress and that customers hit by cancellations or long delays are being offered alternative travel options or refunds, wherever applicable.Industry concerns over planning and policy stressThe Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) on Wednesday said IndiGo’s ongoing disruptions linked to crew shortages highlight a broader failure of proactive resource planning by dominant carriers. It also alleged that the situation may be used to build pressure on the DGCA to dilute the recently introduced flight duty time limitation norms for pilots.Passenger frustration and reputational damage mounting for IndiGoPassengers from major cities hit by the disruption have been venting their anger over a wave of delays and cancellations, with many saying they received little or no prior intimation about changes to their flights. Several flyers have described being stuck at airports for hours with families, missing important meetings and onward connections as departure times were repeatedly pushed back or flights abruptly scrapped. Go to Source