Tech glitches, crew shortage hit IndiGo; 70 flights cancelled across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Around 70 IndiGo flights across major cities, including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad, were cancelled on Wednesday due to a mix of technology glitches, airport congestion, operational issues and crew shortages.

Sources said that the lack of crew availability is one of the primary causes behind the widespread delays and cancellations.

New FDTL rules trigger disruptions

The disruption follows the latest implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) from November 1, which would have led to an increase in the requirements of pilots.

FDTL regulates the maximum duty hours for pilots and cabin crew to prevent fatigue and ensure safety. The revised norms mandate a weekly rest period of 48 hours, longer night duty regulations and a cap of two night landings per crew instead of the earlier limit of six.

The first phase kicked in during July, while the second phase began on November 1.

Sharp dip in on-time performance

Over the last two days of operational chaos, IndiGo recorded only 35 per cent On-Time Performance (OTP) at key airports on December 2, as per data from the Civil Aviation Ministry. Despite leading OTP in October, the airline has been struggling to maintain punctuality lately.

Comparative OTP on December 2:

Air India: 67.2%

Air India Express: 79.5%

SpiceJet: 82.5%

Akasa Air: 73.2%

“We have faced unavoidable delays and cancellations due to various reasons, including tech issues, congestion, and operational requirements,” IndiGo said in a statement, adding that passengers are being offered alternate flights or refunds.

The airline said its teams are working to restore normal operations at the earliest.

A source from IndiGo told NewsMeter, “Multiple factors are causing delays — some due to weather, others due to crew legality concerns.”

Large-scale operational mismatch

Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that Indian carriers were scheduled to operate 3,404 domestic flights on December 3, but only 3,189 took off. IndiGo had planned the most departures — 2,046 — though the exact number of cancellations remains unknown.

Passenger frustrations mount

Passengers at Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru airports reported major chaos as flights were delayed for long hours and later cancelled with minimal updates. Many missed connections, remained stuck inside the aircraft, or received conflicting instructions from staff.

“There was a long delay for my Mumbai–Hyderabad flight. I had to cancel and book Air India at nearly twice the fare. Ground staff said many pilots did not turn up for their shifts, which led to this situation," said Ashish, a flyer.