The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA), in a press statement, said that IndiGo’s flight cancellations could be a pressure tactic to weaken Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms. The association urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to factor in pilot availability when approving airline schedules under the Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) norms. The statement came after IndiGo cancelled over 150 flights and delayed several others, leaving passengers stranded at major airports, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune.

According to a report by PTI, 33 outbound and 35 incoming IndiGo flights are likely to be cancelled from Hyderabad. Reuters reported that 73 IndiGo flights had been cancelled on December 4 in Bengaluru. A source told Reuters that IndiGo plans to cancel 85 flights at Mumbai airport today.

The aviation watchdog, DGCA, has launched a probe into the operational issues and has summoned IndiGo officials. 

IndiGo ‘arm-twisting’ regulator on FDTL norms: ALPA

According to the association, the pilot shortage is likely due to a combination of factors, including inadequate planning. It further accused the airline of using an “arm-twisting” strategy to pressure the regulator into relaxing FDTL rules. 

“The situation concerning the recent flight cancellations across India, allegedly attributed to pilot shortage due to new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms, raises significant questions about the airline’s management, regulatory oversight by the DGCA, and market fairness,” ALPA said in a statement. 

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ALPA noted that airlines had ample time to prepare, as the revised FDTL norms were issued in January last year and rolled out in two phases. “Despite sufficient time being accorded, most Airlines started preparing rather late, failing to properly adjust crew rosters 15 days in advance as required… While the new norms mandate increased rest periods and other restrictions to combat pilot fatigue, this does not necessarily increase the total number of pilots needed to maintain a schedule.”

According to the new FDTL norms, pilots are now required to get 48 hours of weekly rest, and the number of night landings permitted has been reduced from six to just two.

The association also pointed to the problem of “slot hoarding”. It suggested that airlines may have planned more flights in their winter schedule to hold on to premium slots, while being unable to operate them reliably. “It suggests a misuse of the process, intentionally or not,” ALPA said.

The association also mentioned the DGCA slot recapture policy, under which operators must use at least 80% of their allocated slots to retain “grandfather rights”.

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“If the Airlines consistently fail to meet this minimum usage for a prolonged period due to a self-inflicted pilot shortage, the DCA has the mechanism to reassess and potentially revoke those slots and reallocate them to other airlines, who have the capacity to use them.”

The third issue highlighted by the association is “competitor capacity”. The association said that Air India is currently expanding, but has been accused by pilot unions of misusing FDTL waivers. Akasa Air, the association added, previously had more pilots than aircraft due to a delay in aircraft deliveries, indicating that it may have the capacity to absorb additional slots if aircraft availability and route plans align.

Reiterating that the two-phased FDTL update was introduced to reduce pilot fatigue, ALPA warned that any relaxation of the rules could jeopardise passenger and crew safety. “Any relaxation granted should be based on scientific assessment and adequate risk mitigation,” the association further said. 

IndiGo’s unorthodox lean manpower strategy caused disruption: FIP

Another pilots’ association body, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), has urged the DGCA to step in, writing to the regulator late Wednesday to reconsider and redistribute flight slots to airlines capable of operating them smoothly during the peak holiday and fog season. The association said that if IndiGo continues to struggle due to what it called “avoidable staffing shortages”, those slots should be reassigned in the interest of passengers.

FIP also accused IndiGo of imposing a “hiring freeze” despite having nearly two years to prepare for the complete rollout of the revised flight duty and rest rules for pilots.

The pilots’ body alleged that “despite the two-year preparatory window before full FDTL implementation, the airline inexplicably adopted a hiring freeze, entered non-poaching arrangements, maintained a pilot pay freeze through cartel-like behaviour, and demonstrated other short-sighted planning practices”.

The organisation has called on the DGCA to ensure that airlines only receive seasonal flight approvals if they have sufficient crew strength to run operations “safely and reliably” in compliance with the updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) framework.

“All other airlines have provisioned pilots adequately and remain largely unaffected due to timely planning and preparation… the current disruption is the direct consequence of IndiGo’s prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy across departments, particularly in-flight operations,” FIP said in a statement. 

Following the rollout of phase 1 of the FDTL on July 1, the FIP alleged that “IndiGo reduced pilot leave quotas, and after phase 2 on November 1, attempted to buy back pilot leave”. 

DGCA summons IndiGo

DGCA said that it is probing the issue and has summoned the airline following flight cancellations.

“The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is currently investigating the situation and evaluating measures along with the airline, to reduce cancellations and delays, in order to minimise inconvenience being caused to passengers…,” the aviation regulator said.

It added, “Indigo has been asked to report to DGCA, Headquarters, to present the facts leading to the current situation along with plans to mitigate the ongoing delays & cancellations.”

Following the DGCA probe, the shares of Interglobe Aviation Ltd fell and ended 1.73 per cent lower on Wednesday, CNBC TV18 reported. The shares fell nearly 2% in early trade on Thursday. The share price of IndiGo in the last 5 days plunged 6 per cent, and in the last six months it delivered a return of 2 per cent.

What has happened?

Hundreds of flights were cancelled by IndiGo on Wednesday, and several others were delayed, leaving a large number of passengers stranded at major airports in the country. As the country’s largest airline grappled with operational disruptions due to crew shortage, it released a statement acknowledging the same.

“We acknowledge that IndiGo’s operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused,” an IndiGo spokesperson said. 

It attributed the delays to a number of “unforeseen operation challenges”, which it said include tech snags, new roster rules, adverse weather conditions and more. 

“A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations) had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated,” the statement added. 

The airline further said that to restore normalcy, it has initiated calibrated adjustments to its schedule, adding that the affected customers are being offered alternate travel arrangements to reach their destinations or refunds, as applicable.