IndiGo's Turbulence: Airfare Caps Amid Flight Chaos

IndiGo is grappling with a crisis due to a pilot shortage, leading to mass flight cancellations in India. The government has implemented airfare caps and allowed exemptions for IndiGo to help stabilize the situation. However, the move has sparked criticism from pilot labor groups regarding safety concerns.

India's aviation sector faced significant disruption as IndiGo, the nation's largest airline, cancelled 385 flights amidst a pilot shortage crisis. Hundreds of passengers were left stranded at Bengaluru and Mumbai airports on Saturday, sparking the government's intervention to cap airfares and operate additional trains.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is actively monitoring fare levels, invoking similar caps last seen during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Exemptions to new pilot duty rules have been temporarily granted to IndiGo until February 10, allowing the airline a window to normalize operations.

Despite governmental relief, this move drew criticism from pilot labor associations, concerned about compromised safety. They labeled the dispensation as a selective measure benefiting IndiGo, raising eyebrows over potential biases in enforcing aviation norms.