WHY INDIGO MUST LEARN THE LESSON AMBASSADOR FAILED

IndiGo's hubris met regulatory reality as leadership paralysis and pilot shortages shattered a hard-earned reputation in days, traumatising passengers and exposing India's dependence on aviation giants

- G R GOPINATH

MODERN-day mega corporations are like empires. They are no exception to the failings of imperial hubris. When they become too big and powerful, most morph into blind, rapacious monsters. This may explain the fall of IndiGo, an iconic airline until a fortnight ago.

With 400-odd planes, well-turned-out cabin crews, on-time performance, a large network with over 2,000 flights connecting India every day, and no fatal accidents over 19 years of operations, becoming an airline of global standards was no mean achievement. The two founders, Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia, deserve accolades, though the former exited three years ago over an internal dispute.

But today, after two weeks of mayhem and uncontrollable flight cancellations, the airline stands disgraced. It took less than 19 days to destroy a seemingly unassailable reputation built over 19 years.

The initial trickle of delays began on November 1, when the new rules promulgated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation kicked in to provide more rest to pilots and reduce fatigue, thereby improving aviation safety by increasing weekly rest hours, redefining night duty hours, and limiting the number of night landings. It was a longpending demand from the Indian Pilots' Association to bring the rules into line with International Civil Aviation Organisation norms, which the airlines initially resisted adopting.

Low-cost airlines typically fly more hours-hopping from city to city with quicker turnarounds-than full-service carriers. That should translate into more pilots per aircraft for IndiGo than for Air India.

It's also true that there is a huge shortage of captains in India. Recruiting a foreign captain takes 4-6 months, as they must obtain security clearance from intelligence agencies. That cannot be compromised on, especially after 9/11. After Home Ministry clearance, foreign captains must take the DGCA examination.