by Peerzada Arshad Hamid
NEW DELHI, Dec 7 (NNN-XINHUA) – Fresh mass flight cancellations and delays from India’s largest airline IndiGo, continued for the sixth straight day, across major airports in the country, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and agitated.
At least 405 domestic flights of IndiGo were reportedly cancelled yesterday. With no relief in sight, the operational disruptions are expected to continue for many more days to come.
The operational crisis was caused due to a shortage of pilots and flight crew, in view of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules, that mandated longer rest periods for the staff. IndiGo has admitted to misjudging the number of pilots it needed, under the new FDTL rules.
According to the new pilot duty rules, the amount of mandatory rest per week for pilots has been increased by 12 hours to 48 hours.
IndiGo failed to plan for the new flight duty timings imposed on pilots.
The government has now put the new FDTL order in abeyance, expecting that normalcy would return within three days.
On Friday, IndiGo cancelled more than 1,000 flights, including all departures from New Delhi, India’s national capital. On Thursday alone, 550 flights were cancelled across multiple airports, including Delhi, and between Tuesday and Wednesday, over 200 flights of IndiGo were cancelled.
Scenes of absolute chaos and meltdown on Friday unfolded at airports across the country, as IndiGo’s domestic fliers expressed frustration with their flights being delayed or cancelled.
A local television news channel captured an angry passenger climbing atop the airline counter at Mumbai Airport, demanding an answer for her flight cancellation that had left her, as well as thousands of other passengers across the country, stranded over the past few days.
With its fleet of over 400 aircraft, IndiGo operates around 2,300 flights daily on domestic and international routes.
On Friday, IndiGo CEO, Pieter Elbers extended his apologies for the massive disruptions, in a video clip posted on social media, stating the situation is expected to return to normal between Dec 10 and Dec 15.
India’s federal civil aviation minister, Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, has ordered an investigation into what he described as IndiGo’s “mismanagement.”
Meanwhile, the crisis at IndiGo and mass cancellation of its flights have led to a skyrocketing of airfares, especially on the busiest routes.
Reports said, the flight prices between Delhi and Mumbai have touched shocking levels. Fares for last-minute tickets have more than doubled across major travel platforms.– NNN-XINHUA