IndiGo cancels 300 flights in 2 days as new FDTL rules bite

Airline has struggled to manage pilot duty rosters since last month

- DEEPAK PATEL

India's largest airline IndiGo has cancelled over 300 flights over the past two days and delayed hundreds more as a mounting pilot shortage disrupted operations following. enforcement of the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) rules, said aviation industry sources on Wednesday.

The carrier operates over 2,300 flights a day, meaning nearly 7 per cent of services have been scrapped over the past 48 hours.

IndiGo's on-time performance slumped to 35 per cent on Tuesday, Ministry of Civil Aviation data showed. In a statement on Wednesday evening, the airline said it had initiated "calibrated adjustments" to its schedules, effectively cancelling a portion of flights, over the next two days to normalise operations.

The spokesperson attributed the cancellations and delays to minor glitches, adverse weather, airport congestion and the implementation of FDTL rules.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday evening said that IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights last month, with 61 per cent of them attributed to flight duty time limitation (FDTL) issues. "IndiGo has been asked to report to the DGCA headquarters to present the facts leading to the current situation along with plans to mitigate the ongoing delays and cancellations," the regulator mentioned.

The regulator also said it is currently investigating the situation and is evaluating measures along with the airline to mitigate the situation.