For the past four days, passengers flying with Indigo Airlines have been facing significant challenges. The airline's flight schedule has been severely disrupted due to negligence in implementing new regulations set by the DGCA, affecting travelers relying on Indigo's services. Essentially, these new rules have led to a shortfall in Indigo's crew, including pilots, air hostesses, and other flight personnel, which resulted in a lack of sufficient pilots to transport passengers.
The situation is dire with hundreds of flights being canceled or significantly delayed at airports in cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad. Just on Friday, over 1,000 flights were canceled. Indigo's CEO, Peter Elbers, acknowledged in a video message on Friday that the airline has been experiencing operational hiccups, notably peaking on December 5th, leading to over 1,000 flights getting canceled.
Passengers have been enduring waits of up to 20 hours at airports, with little assistance or accurate information from Indigo regarding their flights. At some airports, tensions have risen over access to food, water, and essential items, leading to clashes between passengers and Indigo staff.
The root of these issues lies in the new DGCA regulations, which Indigo attempted to implement without proper preparation or planning, resulting in widespread chaos.
What were the DGCA regulations that were poorly implemented?
The new rules mandated that flight staff receive two days off after seven consecutive days of work, reduced the maximum number of night landings from six to two, and specified that night shifts shouldn’t exceed two consecutive nights. Furthermore, pilots are now required to take at least a 24-hour rest period after long flights, while night shifts are now defined from midnight to 6 a.m., previously ending at 5 a.m.
The hasty adoption of these rules led to a sudden decrease in the availability of Indigo's pilots and crew, disrupting flight schedules and worsening the situation. Although these DGCA rules apply to all airline companies, other airlines have gradually adapted, while Indigo's operational issues were exacerbated due to its status as the airline with the most flights in India.
Indigo operates the most flights in the country
Indigo Airlines operates approximately 2,300 flights daily, almost twice as many as Air India. Indigo holds a 64% market share in domestic flights, while 'Air India' accounts for 27%. Essentially, Indigo dominates the domestic market.
The challenge arose when Indigo found itself short of the necessary pilots and flight staff to comply with the new regulations. Although Indigo implemented the rules, it didn’t account for the increased demand for pilots and other staff. This lapse in planning has caused significant inconvenience for air travelers. Nevertheless, the government has granted Indigo a few days' reprieve considering passengers' predicaments, and a four-member committee has been formed to investigate this negligence.
Air ticket prices increased up to tenfold
This disorder has made reaching destinations more difficult and expensive for air travelers. Ticket prices from Delhi to Jaipur have soared to 88,000 INR, while those to Mumbai have reached 70,000 INR. Essentially, air ticket prices have surged by up to 10 times, leaving travelers either stranded at airports or forced to pay astronomical amounts for tickets. The situation is projected to normalize in 5 to 10 days.
