India's largest airline melts down after new crew rest rules

Airtravelacross India was in turmoil for a fourth day on Friday afterIndiGocancelled more than 1,000 flights, including all departures from New Delhi, prompting the government to announce special relief measures for the country’s largestairline.

In a bid to improveairtravelsafety,Indianauthorities have introduced new stricter regulations limiting pilot flying times and placing tighter restrictions on their operation of nighttime flights.

ButIndiGoadmitted it failed to plan properly ahead of a November 1 deadline for the measures’ introduction.Withairtravelnow approaching its December peak, that has forced widespread flight cancellations this week that have strandedthousands oftravelers.

IndiGoCEO Pieter Elbers apologized to theairline’s customers in his first public remarks since the crisis began, adding: “I do understand that these disruptions … have shaken (customers’) belief inIndiGo’s reliability.”

Elbers added thatit wouldtake some time to return to a “full, normal situation”, and that it wasanticipated this could bebetween December 10-15.

Following a request byIndiGo, India’s civil aviation authorities granted it a temporary exemption from some of the new rules on Friday to help it deal with the crisis.

The head of India’s aviation regulator appealed to pilots for cooperation during the crisis, stressing that the bodywascommitted to implementing the pilot rest and duty rules in ‘letter and spirit.’

IndiGohad earlier toldIndianofficialsthat it did not expect to fully restore operations until February 10, though on Friday it said there should be “progressive improvement” from Saturday.

Other majorIndianairlines, includingAirIndia and Akasa, have not had to cancel flights due to the new rules.

Hundreds of flights canceled, passengers vent anger

Elberssaid that “well over” 1,000 flights had been cancelled on Friday.

Delhiairport announced allIndiGodepartures werecancelledfor the day, a number that a source put at 235 flights.

Theairlinealsocancelled 165 flights in Mumbai, 102 in Bengaluru, 92 in Hyderabad,saidairportsources, who declined to be named.

At manyairports across the country, crowds of stranded passengers voiced their frustrations, aggressively arguing with staff.

Social media platforms and local media were flooded with videos of angrytravellers.

“Down withIndiGo! Down withIndiGo!”a video post on X showeda group of passengers at Bengaluruairport shouting.

Anearlier X postshowed dozens of young children sitting inside a Delhiairport terminal. “Kids waiting since 4am for theirIndiGo(flight) … hungry, tired, sleepy,” readthe caption.

IndiGo receives exemptions from new pilot duty rules

IndiGoshares closed 1.2% lower on Friday. For the week, the shares dropped 9% – their worst such performance since June 2022.India’s main opposition party has demanded a discussion on the issue in parliament.

The new pilot duty rules mandate that pilots can only make two nighttime landings per week, down from six previously.

On Friday, thatprovisionwas put on holdforIndiGountil February 10 by India’s civil aviation regulator. Theairline was also temporarily exempted from a rule specifying maximum flight duty periods for pilots doing some night flying.

But the government did not exemptIndiGofrom the stricter new rule that increased the mandatory rest per week for pilots by 12 hours to 48 hours.

IndiGosaid it will offer waivers on all cancellations and booking changes fortravelbetween December 5 and December 15. Theairline has also arranged ground transportation and thousands of hotel rooms for stranded customers, it said.