The operational crisis gripping India’s aviation sector intensified on Friday, December 5th, as all IndiGo domestic flights from the national capital, Delhi, were cancelled until midnight. This marked the fourth consecutive day of mass disruptions, with total IndiGo cancellations crossing the 1,000 mark over four days.
Faced with mounting passenger chaos at major hubs like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, the government regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), was forced to implement a “temporary one-time extension” by retracting a key provision of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules.
The DGCA’s U-Turn
The FDTL norms, which came into effect from November 1st, were designed to enhance safety by addressing pilot fatigue, most notably by increasing rest periods and placing stricter limits on night operations.
The specific norm that the DGCA retracted on December 5th was the one stating that “no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest.”
- Impact of the Original Rule: The original rule required airlines to provide mandatory weekly rest separate from scheduled leave, which significantly stressed IndiGo’s crew rostering due to inadequate staffing.
- The Relaxation: The DGCA, citing “ongoing operational disruptions” and representations from airlines, immediately withdrew this clause. This relaxation allows airlines to now count pilots’ leave days toward their mandatory weekly rest, providing temporary flexibility to stabilize their schedules.
Industry Backlash and Safety Concerns
The decision to roll back safety-focused rules was met with immediate criticism from industry experts and pilot bodies:
- “Succumbed to Airline Pressure”: Sector experts, such as Mark Martin, argued that the government “clearly succumbed to airline pressure,” warning that diluting a well-structured safety regulation on crew fatigue could have global repercussions.
- “Artificially Created”: The Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA India) alleged that the flight disruptions were potentially “artificially created” by airlines to pressure the DGCA into relaxing the new, stricter fatigue norms, despite having nearly two years to prepare.
- Safety Risk: The ALPA also warned the DGCA that granting “selective and unsafe” relaxations compromises passenger safety and undermines the very intent of the FDTL regulations.
Despite the temporary withdrawal, the DGCA affirmed its commitment to eventually enforcing the FDTL norms “in letter and spirit” and issued an appeal to pilot associations to cooperate and help stabilize operations during the peak holiday and fog season.
The crisis, which began scaling up from December 2nd, exposed the fragility of India’s dominant carrier, IndiGo, compared to smaller rivals like Air India and Akasa Air, which experienced limited issues.