“Normalcy Restored at the Airports”: MoCA’s Message Brings a Sigh of Relief Amid Aviation Chaos

With over 4 days of chaos reigning supreme at major airports in the country, the message from the Ministry of Civil Aviation has brought a sense of relief to stressed passengers either stranded at the airports or sweating over impending travel. The ministry today sent out the message, “Normalcy is restored at the airports across the country. All necessary facilities are provided to passengers. Check-ins and check-outs are happening smoothly.”

What led to chaos at the airports?

On Friday, IndiGo, the largest airline in the country, canceled over 1000 flights leading to major disruption in the air travel.The disruption was triggered by the full implementation of stricter pilot duty regulations (Flight Duty Time Limitations or FDTL) in November. These new rules, which significantly increased mandatory weekly rest and severely restricted night-time flying, collided with IndiGo's highly efficient, lean-staffing business model, leading to an immediate and massive shortage of available crew. Compounded by winter weather, airport congestion, and a lack of adequate preparation time by the airline, the crew shortfall created a cascading wave of delays and cancellations that crippled the network.

Has IndiGo been penalized by the government for the operational failure?

After the nationwide operational failure, the Ministry of Civil Aviation called a meeting with IndiGo authorities on Saturday to determine the next steps. As per reports the airline is going to severe financial penalties for the poor management leading to the fiasco which may also include a reduction in the number of flights they are allowed to operate. The rumour mills are also abuzz with the news of a possible of  IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers.

Will the stranded passengers be compensated for their inconvenience?

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has issued a strict directive mandating IndiGo Airlines to immediately clear all pending passenger refunds for cancelled and disrupted flights. The airline has been given a deadline of 8:00 PM on Sunday, December 7, to complete the entire refund process. The MoCA warned that failure to comply or any delay will result in immediate regulatory action, and also instructed IndiGo to waive all rescheduling charges for affected passengers.

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