When strength becomes biggest weakness

INDIGO'S ONGOING FLIGHT chaos brings to light the perils of its own lean playbook.

- YARUQHULLAH KHAN & AKBAR MERCHANT

With over 1,900 flights cancelled during the week, on-time performance plunging to a dismal 8.5% as on Thursday from 50% before the crisis unfolded. With passengers stranded amid winter fog and peak travel demand, the country's largest airline is reeling from a crisis that pilot unions and industry analysts squarely blame on years of self-imposed constraints.

The trigger is the second phase of Directorate General of Civil Aviation's new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, rolled out on November 1 after a two-year preparatory window, but the real cause lies in IndiGo's aggressive high-utilisation model that left it uniquely vulnerable when fatigue curbs bit hard.

The new norms, aimed at curbing pilot fatigue with global benchmarks, mandate 48 hours of weekly rest up from 36, cap night landings at two instead of six, and stretch night hours to 00:00-06:00 from 23:00-05:00.