Chaos At Pune Airport As IndiGo Cancels 16 Flights, Hundreds Left Stranded-WATCH

Pune: Chaos at key airports worsened as more than 175 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Thursday, after stringent government regulations on crew safety norms threw roster planning at the country's largest airline into disarray. 

The inordinate flight delays affected passengers at Pune Airport where hundreds of flyers were stranded at at the airport since yesterday and passengers complained of receiving no help from the staff or authorities at the airport. 
As per the latest operational status, 8 arrival and 8 departure flights have been cancelled, 11 aircraft are currently on the ground, and 19 flights have been delayed by more than one hour."

Furthermore, as majority of flights were delayed in the city, the flyers were forced to sit in the aircraft for hours after landing owing to limited number of parking bays (aerobridges). A passenger, while commenting on the harrowing ordeal said, they were stuck in the aircraft for 3 hours as there were no parking bays available.

Another passenger while addressing the crisis stated that he has been stranded in the airport since yesterday night. He added no food or water were provided to them and airline staff were unavailable to provide them assistance in this crisis situation.

Why The Chaos Followed

IndiGo's disruption was mainly due to a shortage of pilots and crew. The reimplementation of FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limit) norms and reduced crew availability led to flight cancellations and rescheduling, affecting IndiGo operations across major airports across the country.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in an emergency meeting, rejected IndiGo's explanation on the crisis created in the aviation sector after cancellations and delays scores of flights across multiple airports for the third consecutive day today. The regulatory body has stated that it has no accountability for the cancellation of flights, which is completely the airline's responsibility.

The DGCA, addressing the new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms stated that the change in norms has been in the works for six months. The DGCA also stressed that crew management is solely the airline's responsibility and sought time-bound solution from IndiGo regarding the issue. 

Also Read: Chaos At Major Airports As Angry Passengers Confront Staff Amid IndiGo Flight Delays, Cancellations