IndiGo Flight Cancellations: Turbulence Over New Duty Norms

IndiGo has cancelled over 400 flights after securing temporary relaxations on court-mandated flight duty and rest period norms. While facing backlash from pilots’ associations, the airline is accused of jeopardizing passenger safety. The changes, originally opposed by multiple airlines, were delayed but eventually enforced with variations.

IndiGo's cancellation of over 400 flights from major airports has caused a stir in the aviation industry, just a day after temporarily securing relaxations to new duty norms. The cancellations affected key hubs like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad, causing significant disruption to passengers.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers publicly apologized for the inconvenience, as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation granted temporary relief by adjusting nightly duty definitions and landing permissions. However, this move has drawn criticism from the Airlines' Pilots Association of India, labeling the adjustments as "unsafe" and highlighting risks to millions of passengers.

Despite the temporary measures, tensions remain high after pilot associations condemned the delay in implementing fatigue-mitigation standards. The norms, which faced initial resistance from airlines, including Air India, are being rolled out in phases under court orders, with the latest changes focusing on reducing night landings.