IndiGo meltdown sparks national chaos; safety rules put on hold

IndiGo's worst operational breakdown in years triggered nationwide chaos on Friday, forcing the Centre into emergency action even as aviation experts warned that the government's decision to suspend newly revised pilot-rest rules amounted not to a tactical pause, but a capitulation.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA/ ANAND SINGH/BRYAN THOMAS/ TIKAM SHARMA

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) constituted a four-member committee headed by Joint Director General Sanjay K. Bramhane to examine the large-scale delays and cancellations that have crippled IndiGo since early December. The panel has 15 days to submit its findings. Prima facie, the regulator said the crisis pointed to deficiencies in internal oversight, operational preparedness and compliance planning within the airline.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said backlogs had begun clearing and that airports were expected to return to normal from Saturday, with complete stabilisation by Monday. The DGCA has granted IndiGo a onetime exemption from specific Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms until 10 February 2026 to ease operations, and has deployed inspection teams to the airline's control centres and major airports. Full refunds for cancelled flights and hotel accommodation for stranded passengers have been mandated.

But the government's decision to place the revised FDTL rules in abeyance has drawn sharp criticism.

These fatigue-mitigation norms, designed after extensive consultations and aligned with global safety standards, were notified nearly two years ago. Their purpose was clear: to reduce pilot exhaustion and enhance operational safety.

As Abhinandan Mishra writes, the rollback is "more than a brief tactical retreat.