IndiGo Pilot Crisis: India Air Travel Disrupted by New Duty Rules

IndiGo Flight Cancellations

• ✈️ IndiGo, India's largest airline, cancelled approximately 500 flights on Friday, causing widespread disruption to air travel for the fourth consecutive day.
• 📌 All flights from New Delhi were cancelled due to the airline's failure to adapt to new pilot flying time regulations.
• 🗓️ IndiGo anticipates operations will not be fully restored until February 10th, with no clear end date for the daily mass cancellations.

New Pilot Duty Regulations

• 📜 New Indian pilot duty rules, implemented on November 1st, mandate an increase in mandatory weekly rest for pilots by 12 hours, bringing the total to 48 hours.
• 🌙 A significant change restricts pilots to only two nighttime landings per week, a reduction from the previous six.

Industry Impact and Passenger Frustration

• 📉 IndiGo's shares fell nearly 3% on Friday, contributing to a weekly slump of over 10%.
• ⚠️ Authorities have granted IndiGo a temporary exemption from the stricter night duty rules to alleviate the crisis.
• 😠 Passengers expressed frustration at major airports across India due to the ongoing travel chaos.
• 📊 IndiGo currently holds a dominant 60% share of India's aviation market.