In first month of crew rest rules, 269K flyers hit by ops disruptions

More than 269,000 domestic air passengers were affected by denied boarding, flight cancellations and delays beyond two hours in November, the first full month after stricter pilot fatigue rules took effect.

- Neha LM Tripathi

Disruptions increased from around 255,000 passengers affected in November 2024, data submitted by airlines to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) showed.

Delays beyond two hours accounted for the largest share, affecting 156,000 passengers, though this represented a decline in absolute numbers compared with the previous year. Flight cancellations impacted 112,000 passengers — a more than fourfold increase from fewer than 27,000 in November 2024.

Denied boarding cases affected 830 passengers, down significantly from 3,539 the previous year, indicating improved capacity and booking management.