IndiGo's Flight Turmoil: Stranded Passengers and New Regulations

India's largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled around 500 flights due to failure to plan for new regulations limiting pilot flying times. The airline, covering over 60% of India's domestic travel, faced an operational crisis. Indian authorities provided temporary exemptions to help manage the disruptions experienced by thousands of travellers.

Air travel in India continued to face massive disruptions for the fourth consecutive day as IndiGo, the country's largest airline, cancelled approximately 500 flights on Friday, including all departures from New Delhi. This prompted the government to implement special relief measures for the beleaguered airline.

The cancellations were the result of new government regulations aimed at enhancing air travel safety, which set stricter limits on pilot flying times and nighttime operations. IndiGo admitted to poor planning ahead of the November 1 deadline for these regulations, causing significant delays as air travel peaks in December.

With thousands of passengers stranded and frustrations mounting, India's civil aviation authorities granted IndiGo temporary exemptions from some of the new rules to manage the crisis. Although the airline aims to restore normal operations by February 10, a gradual return to regular scheduling is expected to begin shortly.

(With inputs from agencies.)