After having to cancel hundreds of flights this week due to a lack of pilots, IndiGo told the aviation regulator that its operations will be fully resumed by February 10.
Thousands of passengers were stranded again on Thursday, a third day of chaos after India’s largest airline failed to make enough changes to its scheduling to comply with new government regulations.
“The disruptions arose primarily from misjudgment and planning gaps in the implementation of Phase 2 (Flight Duty Limitation), with the airline accepting that the actual crew requirement exceeded its expectations,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
Here are the exceptions to the rules that IndiGo has requested:
The airline has reportedly requested relief from some provisions that limit pilots’ working hours at night.
Under the new aviation rules, the DGCA has increased the amount of mandatory rest per week for commercial pilots by 12 hours to 48 hours. In addition, pilots can now make only two night landings per week, down from six under the old rules.
According to a DGCA press release, IndiGo has applied for exemption from provisions for flight duty time limitation, definition of night service and for operations affecting night service for A320 operation till February 10, 2026.
The DGCA said the request is under consideration.
What did IndiGo tell DGCA about cancellation and initial reasons?
According to a DGCA press release, IndiGo has informed the aviation regulator about the flight cancellations and provided initial reasons for them, including transitional challenges in implementing CAR’s revised Flight Duty Time Limits (FDTL), crew scheduling issues and winter season operational constraints.
