IndiGo Cancels 70+ Flights as Crew Shortage Worsens After New FDTL Rules
India's largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled more than 70 flights on Wednesday, with several others facing delays across major airports, including Bengaluru and Mumbai, due to an acute shortage of flight crew, sources said.
Passengers across the country faced disruptions as IndiGo struggled to manage flight operations amid crew unavailability.
In a statement, the airline acknowledged the operational issues, saying:
“We have had several unavoidable flight delays and some cancellations in the past few days due to various reasons, including technology issues, airport congestion, and operational requirements.”
However, industry sources pointed to a severe crew shortage triggered by the implementation of the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, which took effect on November 1.
“IndiGo has been facing acute crew shortage since the implementation of the second phase of the FDTL norms, leading to cancellations and huge delays in its operations across airports,” a source told PTI.
“The situation worsened on Tuesday and further deteriorated on Wednesday, with scores of flights cancelled or delayed nationwide,” the source added.
According to data from the Civil Aviation Ministry, IndiGo’s on-time performance (OTP) from six major domestic airports dropped sharply to 35% on Tuesday. In comparison, Air India recorded 67.2%, Air India Express 79.5%, SpiceJet 82.5%, and Akasa Air 73.2%.
Why FDTL Norms Are Affecting Operations
The revised FDTL rules—designed to improve pilot rest and flight safety—extend weekly rest periods to 48 hours, lengthen night duty hours, and limit night landings to two per week (down from six previously).
These regulations were initially opposed by domestic airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, which cited a need for more crew to comply with the new standards. Despite their objections, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) enforced the norms after the Delhi High Court directed implementation in a phased manner.
While the first phase began in July 2024, the second phase—impacting night operations—was rolled out from November 1. The norms were originally slated for March 2024 but were delayed to allow airlines to prepare.
Fleet and Operations
IndiGo, headquartered in Gurugram, operates around 2,100 domestic and international flights daily, a significant portion of which are night operations.
As of December 2, the airline had a fleet of 416 aircraft, with 366 in operation and 50 grounded, according to data from aircraft tracking portal Planespotter.com. The number of grounded planes has increased from 47 last month.
The ongoing crew shortage, coupled with the operational strain from the new FDTL norms, continues to pose challenges for the airline as it works to stabilize its flight schedules.
