Chennai airport reported chaotic scenes, with long queues at IndiGo’s counters as frustrated passengers sought clarity on flight cancellations and delays
| Photo Credit:
BIJOY GHOSH
New Delhi/Mumbai
India’s aviation regulator has rolled back recently implemented pilot rest-period norms after widespread disruptions left thousands of passengers stranded, with IndiGo cancelling more than 1,000 flights on Friday.
Airports in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune reported chaotic scenes, with long queues at IndiGo’s counters as frustrated passengers sought clarity on flight cancellations and delays.
To stabilise the domestic network, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted IndiGo a temporary exemption from the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, citing “severe rostering disruptions” following the new rules.
The updated FDTL norms, which came into effect on November 1, prescribe duty hours, mandatory rest periods and flight-time limits for cockpit crew to prevent fatigue. Airlines were required to fully comply with Phase II of the rollout from this month.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the exemption was granted to restore schedules quickly.
“Based on the immediate implementation of these directives, we expect flight schedules to stabilise by tomorrow,” he said on Friday. “Complete restoration of services is expected within the next three days.”
Video Credit: Businessline
Pilot union contests relief
The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPAI) strongly opposed the regulator’s decision, calling it a “selective and unsafe dispensation” benefiting only one airline.
In a representation to the DGCA, the union said the exemption undermines the intent of the revised norms and “compromises scientifically established fatigue protections”.
ALPAI alleged that IndiGo had knowingly expanded its winter schedule despite being aware of Phase-II FDTL implementation timelines and is now seeking relief “under the pretext of passenger inconvenience”.
Government orders inquiry
In a parallel move, the Centre has ordered a high-level inquiry into the disruption.
“The inquiry will examine what went wrong at IndiGo, determine accountability, and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in future,” the minister said. “Passengers should not face such hardship again.”
The DGCA also appealed for co-operation from all pilot bodies, pointing to multiple factors driving delays, including IndiGo’s rostering constraints, unpredictable weather, and peak seasonal demand.
IndiGo promises reset
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers acknowledged that the airline has been facing escalating operational challenges throughout the week.
“Today, December 5, has been the most severely impacted day, with cancellations well over 1,000 — more than half of our daily flights,” he said. “Earlier measures were not enough, so we decided to reboot our systems and schedules. This has resulted in the highest number of cancellations so far, but it is imperative for progressive improvement starting tomorrow.”
Elbers said the airline expects cancellations to fall below 1,000 on Saturday, and that a full return to normal operations is likely between December 10 and 15.
Compliance roadmap sought
The DGCA has directed IndiGo to submit a fortnightly progress report detailing crew utilisation, measures to improve availability, and revised rostering plans. The airline has also been asked to provide a roadmap for full Phase-II FDTL compliance within 30 days.
Published on December 5, 2025