India’s largest airline melts down after new crew rest rules

Air travel across India was in turmoil for a fourth day on Friday after IndiGo cancelled more than 1,000 flights, including all departures from New Delhi, prompting the government to announce special relief measures for the country’s largest airline.

In a bid to improve air travel safety, Indian authorities have introduced new stricter regulations limiting pilot flying times and placing tighter restrictions on their operation of nighttime flights.

But IndiGo admitted it failed to plan properly ahead of a November 1 deadline for the measures’ introduction. With air travel now approaching its December peak, that has forced widespread flight cancellations this week that have stranded thousands of travelers.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologized to the airline’s customers in his first public remarks since the crisis began, adding: “I do understand that these disruptions … have shaken (customers’) belief in IndiGo’s reliability.”

Elbers added that it would take some time to return to a “full, normal situation”, and that it was anticipated this could be between December 10-15.

Following a request by IndiGo, India’s civil aviation authorities granted it a temporary exemption from some of the new rules on Friday to help it deal with the crisis.

The head of India’s aviation regulator appealed to pilots for cooperation during the crisis, stressing that the body was committed to implementing the pilot rest and duty rules in ‘letter and spirit.’

IndiGo had earlier told Indian officials that it did not expect to fully restore operations until February 10, though on Friday it said there should be “progressive improvement” from Saturday.

Other major Indian airlines, including Air India and Akasa, have not had to cancel flights due to the new rules.

Hundreds of flights canceled, passengers vent anger

Elberssaid that “well over” 1,000 flights had been cancelled on Friday.

Delhi airport announced all IndiGo departures were cancelled for the day, a number that a source put at 235 flights.

The airline also cancelled 165 flights in Mumbai, 102 in Bengaluru, 92 in Hyderabad, said airport sources, who declined to be named.

At many airports across the country, crowds of stranded passengers voiced their frustrations, aggressively arguing with staff.

Social media platforms and local media were flooded with videos of angry travellers.

“Down with IndiGo! Down with IndiGo!” a video post on X showed a group of passengers at Bengaluru airport shouting.

An earlier X post showed dozens of young children sitting inside a Delhi airport terminal. “Kids waiting since 4am for their IndiGo (flight) … hungry, tired, sleepy,” read the caption.

IndiGo receives exemptions from new pilot duty rules

IndiGo shares closed 1.2% lower on Friday. For the week, the shares dropped 9% – their worst such performance since June 2022. India’s main opposition party has demanded a discussion on the issue in parliament.

The new pilot duty rules mandate that pilots can only make two nighttime landings per week, down from six previously.

On Friday, that provision was put on hold for IndiGo until February 10 by India’s civil aviation regulator. The airline was also temporarily exempted from a rule specifying maximum flight duty periods for pilots doing some night flying.

But the government did not exempt IndiGo from the stricter new rule that increased the mandatory rest per week for pilots by 12 hours to 48 hours.

IndiGo said it will offer waivers on all cancellations and booking changes for travel between December 5 and December 15. The airline has also arranged ground transportation and thousands of hotel rooms for stranded customers, it said.