IndiGo Crisis Explained: Why the New Rules Hit IndiGo the Hardest
IndiGo’s flight cancellations and delays continue, leaving thousands of passengers frustrated over the past few days. India’s largest airline, which handles over 60% of domestic air traffic, is struggling to cope. The primary reason is a shortage of crew following the implementation of the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules.
The second and final phase of these rules, which govern crew rest and duty hours, came into effect last month. IndiGo was not fully prepared for this change. On Wednesday, 3 December, only 19.7% of IndiGo flights departed on time, down from 35% on Tuesday and around 50% on Monday. The disruption caused chaos across airports nationwide. Social media has been flooded with complaints from passengers, many of whom had to book expensive flights with other airlines due to cancellations.
IndiGo has issued an apology and begun “calibrated adjustments” — rescheduling or cancelling flights to stabilise operations according to crew availability. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also intervened, asking the airline to explain the reasons behind the current situation and present a corrective plan.
Why has IndiGo been hit so hard?
Although the new FDTL rules apply to all domestic airlines, IndiGo has been particularly affected due to several factors: its large-scale operations, a high-frequency network, a significant number of early morning and late-night flights, and intensive aircraft and crew utilisation.
Why other airlines are less affected
Other Indian carriers are operating below full capacity due to delayed aircraft deliveries and grounded planes awaiting maintenance. This gives them more flexibility in crew rostering, as the number of pilots relative to fleet size is higher.
What do the new FDTL rules say?
Under the new rules, pilots’ weekly rest periods have increased from 36 to 48 hours. Night landings have been reduced from six to two per week, and the definition of night hours has been extended by one hour. These changes have posed significant challenges for IndiGo’s crew scheduling.
Purpose of the rules
The rules aim to better address pilot fatigue, a major safety risk in aviation. They were originally scheduled to take effect in June 2024 but were delayed following objections from IndiGo and other airlines.
Airlines’ concerns
Airlines argued that the new rules would require more crew and preferred a phased implementation over an extended period.
How the rules were implemented
Following directions from the Delhi High Court, the DGCA implemented the rules in two stages — in July and November. While IndiGo managed the first stage, which involved longer weekly rest periods, the second stage had a far greater impact, particularly requiring reduced crew utilisation for ‘red-eye’ flights.
Why IndiGo struggled
IndiGo operates at higher aircraft and crew utilisation levels than other Indian carriers. With over 400 aircraft, it runs more than 2,300 flights daily across 90 domestic and 45 international destinations. Even a 10% cancellation rate equates to over 230 flights. By comparison, the next largest airline, Air India, operates less than half this number.
How many flights were cancelled?
According to the DGCA, IndiGo reported 1,232 flight cancellations in November. Of these, 755 were due to crew and FDTL-related constraints, 258 due to airspace and airport restrictions, 92 due to air traffic control failures, and 127 for other reasons. On-time performance (OTP) dropped from 84.1% in November to 67.7% with the December disruptions, denting IndiGo’s long-standing reputation as India’s most punctual airline.
