Author: cpds@india

IndiGo Airlines, India’s largest domestic carrier, is facing a severe operational crisis marked by widespread flight cancellations and delays. The primary cause of this disruption was a failure to adequately plan for the full implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which tightened pilot rest and night duty regulations. The crisis was exacerbated by a significant number of grounded aircraft (estimated around 50–70) due to software update requirements. The consequences include significant reputational damage, financial strain (evidenced by stock price drops and refund costs), and a chaotic experience for passengers across major airports. This crisis has temporarily benefited competing airlines like Air India and Akasa by offering short-term market share gains and enabling surge pricing, but it also strains the overall airport infrastructure. Government and judicial policies, such as the FDTL norms (driven by a Delhi High Court mandate for safety) and economic regulations governing airport charges, demonstrate the significant and often immediate leverage regulators and the judiciary hold over both private and public airline agencies, fundamentally shaping their operational and financial strategies.