IndiGo Crisis Deepens: Pilots' Federation Blames Management as Over 200 Flights Affected

Over 100 IndiGo flights have been delayed or cancelled in the past 72 hours, sources said (File).

New Delhi:

A pilots' body intensified pressure on IndiGo Wednesday night as India's largest airline struggles with potentially its worst operational crisis ever, attributed to technological issues, weather conditions, aviation sector congestion, and modified crew scheduling regulations.

The Federation of Indian Pilots issued a strong statement attributing the problems to the airline's "long-standing, lean manpower strategy, and poor planning across departments, especially flight ops".

The FIP emphasized that airlines were given a two-year implementation window for the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), noting that IndiGo's difficulties couldn't be attributed to these Delhi High Court-mandated regulations, particularly as other domestic carriers maintained normal operations.

"Stop blaming pilots... fix management practices," declared the FIP, highlighting that all airlines received a two-year window before the initial FDTL implementation phase on July 1. Nevertheless, the federation contended that IndiGo implemented a hiring freeze, established a non-poaching agreement, and suspended pilots' salary increases.

Crew morale deteriorated after leave requests were denied – while company executives reportedly received 100 percent salary increases – contributing to widespread dissatisfaction, according to the FIP.

The federation also criticized the airline for expanding flight schedules, particularly seasonal operations, without sufficient pilot staffing. The FIP urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to approve seasonal flights only after airlines demonstrate adequate pilot capacity under the new FDTL standards to ensure safe and reliable operations.

"If IndiGo continues to fail in delivering on commitments to passengers... due to its own avoidable staffing shortages, the FIP urges the DGCA to consider reallocating slots to airlines, like Air India and Akasa Air, who have the capacity to operate without disruption during peak holiday and fog season."

Major airports experienced significant disruption as IndiGo addressed "operational challenges".

IndiGo flight delays and cancellations at key airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, persisted into Thursday morning. More than 200 flights have been affected during the past 72 hours, according to news agency PTI.

The airline, which operates approximately 2,300 domestic and international flights daily, attributed the significant operational disruption to "a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges".

"We acknowledge IndiGo's operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience caused," the airline stated.

Meanwhile, aviation industry sources confirmed the pilots body's assertion – that IndiGo has been experiencing a severe crew shortage since the second phase of FDTL rules implementation on November 1, exacerbating the airline's cancellations and delays.

The severity of these issues was highlighted by the airline, known for its punctuality, recording an On Time Performance (OTP) score of just 35 percent on December 2.

What are FDTL rules?

These regulations limit the number of hours crew members can remain on duty.

They restrict flying to eight hours daily, 35 hours weekly, 125 hours monthly, and 1,000 hours yearly, while also specifying mandatory rest periods. These requirements ensure every crew member receives downtime equaling twice their flight duration, with a minimum 10-hour rest period within any 24-hour window.

These regulations were established to ensure pilots and cabin crew receive adequate rest and prevent fatigue-related safety compromises.

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