- IndiGo's operations disrupted by tech glitches, weather, and schedule changes over two days
- New crew rostering rules and aviation congestion further strained IndiGo's flight schedules
- IndiGo cancelled 200 flights in major cities due to pilot and crew shortages
IndiGo said its operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, attributing the turbulence to a series of unforeseen challenges that have strained schedules and impacted services. The airline cited tech glitches, schedule changes, weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules as key reasons behind the disruption.
To restore stability, IndiGo said it has initiated calibrated adjustments to its schedules, adding that these measures will remain in place for the next 48 hours and are expected to help normalise operations.
The crisis follows the cancellation of nearly 200 flights across Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru in recent days due to complications arising from the rollout of new flight duty-time limitation (FDTL) norms, sources told NDTV.
Here are the reasons behind the chaos:
Acute Crew Shortage
IndiGo has been facing a severe shortage of pilots and cabin crew since the latest, stricter duty-time regulations came into effect on November 1. The updated rules reduce the number of hours pilots can legally fly and increase mandatory rest requirements.
Industry sources said several IndiGo flights were unable to depart because no legally available crew remained, forcing the airline to cancel entire rotations as pilots rostered earlier no longer met the revised eligibility criteria.
New Roster Rules (FDTL Norms)
India's latest phase of Flight Duty Time Limitations aims to reduce fatigue and enhance safety. IndiGo, which operates one of Asia's largest networks with over 2,200 flights a day, struggled to rebuild rosters in time.
The new norms required a complete overhaul of duty schedules, night-landing patterns and weekly rest charts. Insiders said the airline's scheduling systems had not fully stabilised, creating immediate crew deficits across high-density routes.
Technical Glitches At Major Airports
On Tuesday, airports such as Delhi and Pune reported failures in check-in and departure control systems. The glitches caused long queues and delayed departures across multiple IndiGo rotations, with delays accumulating rapidly and affecting aircraft and crew movement across the network.
Airport Congestion And Winter Traffic
Heavy passenger volumes, winter fog-related operational stress, and peak-hour congestion at major metro airports compounded the disruptions. With its tightly packed schedule, even minor delays sent shockwaves through IndiGo's network.
IndiGo's website notes it operates “well over 2,200 daily flights.” Government data from Tuesday showed its on-time performance fell to 35%, indicating that more than 1,400 flights were delayed in a single day.
In total, 1,232 flights were cancelled in November, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
What Are The New Roster Rules?
The DGCA's tighter FDTL norms are designed to improve safety by reducing crew fatigue. Key changes include:
Higher weekly rest requirements, reducing consecutive duties.
Restrictions on night landings, reducing permitted night landings from six to two in a defined period.
Reduced duty hours, meaning more pilots are required to operate the same schedule.
The DGCA caps flight time at:
8 hours per day
35 hours per week
125 hours per month
1,000 hours per year
Crew must also receive rest periods equal to twice the duration of their flight duties, with a minimum of 10 hours of rest within any 24-hour period.
These norms improve safety but require airlines—especially fast-turnaround carriers—to deploy more pilots per aircraft. IndiGo's large overnight network makes it particularly vulnerable.
Why Other Airlines Are Not Affected The Same Way
Although the norms apply sector-wide, IndiGo is facing the most severe disruption due to structural factors:
Scale and Frequency: IndiGo operates the majority of India's domestic flights, magnifying the impact of any disruption.
Large Night-Time Network: The tightened night-landing limits sharply reduced crew availability for overnight operations.
Tight Crew Utilisation Model: IndiGo's efficiency hinges on maximising crew hours; the new rules immediately created schedule gaps.
Lower Flexibility: Smaller airlines found it easier to realign networks, while IndiGo's vast web of connections made rapid adjustments difficult.
When Will Things Improve?
IndiGo expects operations to stabilise within 48 hours as it redeploys crew across high-stress routes, modifies night schedules, conducts pre-planned cancellations to avoid last-minute chaos, and reorganises aircraft and crew rotations.
Passengers have been asked to keep checking flight status and brace for continued delays.
“We sincerely apologise to our customers,” the airline said. “A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including 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, had a negative compounding impact on our operations.”
With inputs from X, ndtv.com
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