India's travel chaos has worsened after the country's largest airline IndiGo cancelled hundreds of scheduled flights on Friday following three days of widespread disruption across its network.
The carrier, which has a 60% market share in India and operates over 2,000 flights daily, has been grappling with pilot shortages due to its failure to adapt to new crew rostering rules.
Thousands of passengers are stranded nationwide during this busy travel season, with all IndiGo flights from the capital, Delhi, cancelled.
IndiGo has announced that it expects to restore full operations only by 10 February, seeking temporary relief from implemented rules that necessitate increased rest hours and restricted night-duty.
Additionally, the airline plans to reduce its flight operations starting 8 December to minimize disruptions.
The government has expressed concerns over the situation, with the federal aviation minister voicing "clear displeasure" at how the airline has handled the turmoil.
India’s aviation regulator attributed the disruptions to misjudgment and planning gaps in the execution of the new flight duty time limitations.
The regulator has mandated IndiGo to submit a comprehensive plan concerning crew recruitment, training, roster restructuring, safety-risk assessments, and other mitigation strategies without delay.
The Airline Pilots Association of India has decried any potential relief for IndiGo regarding duty timings, emphasizing that such measures undermine the new regulations' intent and significantly jeopardize passenger safety.
Under the updated rules, pilots receive enhanced rest periods, with a significant reduction in night-time landings from six to two weekly.
Passengers have taken to social media to express frustration over the lack of timely information and have reported being stranded at airports without food provisions.
Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, expressed his dismay at the disruptions, stating he was lost for words while joining the ranks of those stuck at the airport, missing a staff member's wedding.
Major airports in Delhi, Mumbai, and other cities have started issuing advisories, urging travelers to confirm the status of their flights before heading to the airport.
