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At least ’21 cancellations, 177 delays’ in last 24 hours at Kolkata airport as IndiGo crisis deepens: Crew shortage worsened by new norms
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation and summoned IndiGo’s senior management.
IndiGo’s operational crisis escalated as crew shortages, fog and new FDTL rules triggered widespread delays and cancellations across India. (Representative image)
Air travel across India continues to face severe disruptions as widespread delays and cancellations at IndiGo, the country’s largest carrier, deepen the airline’s ongoing operational crisis. In Kolkata alone, at least 21 cancellations and 177 delays were recorded in the last 24 hours (from Wednesday midnight till Thursday evening 4pm), officials said. Dense fog, acute crew shortage and the rollout of stricter regulatory norms have compounded the crisis.
Flight operations at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport were heavily affected, causing major disruption through the day. As IndiGo handles nearly 66 per cent of flight operations at the airport, the cascading impact was significant.
“The crisis is being driven by an acute crew shortage, worsened by the new, stricter Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms mandating longer rest periods for pilots. Combined with adverse weather, this has thrown IndiGo’s network into disarray,” said an airport official.
An internal operational report for Kolkata showed 24 IndiGo flights were hit between 12 noon and 8 am with four cancellations and 20 delays, mostly for “operational” reasons. Of the cancelled flights, two were arrivals from Bengaluru, while departures to Mumbai and Delhi were also scrapped. Ten incoming flights were delayed, including those from Delhi, Singapore and Bangkok. Fourteen departures were delayed, with flights to Guwahati, Haldia, Bhubaneswar and Imphal among those affected.
The disruptions have left thousands of passengers stranded and triggered widespread frustration at airports across the country.
IndiGo said its network had been “significantly disrupted” by “unforeseen operational challenges”, citing technology glitches, winter-related schedule changes, adverse weather, congestion, and updated crew rostering rules. The airline’s on-time performance dropped to 35 per cent on Tuesday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation and summoned IndiGo’s senior management to explain the “unprecedented disruptions” and outline steps to stabilise operations.
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The crew shortage — particularly of pilots — has been intensified by the new FDTL rules that mandate a minimum weekly rest of 48 hours and restrict night landings. This has put pressure on IndiGo’s high-frequency schedule and contributed to a spike in airfares on several routes.
According to DGCA data, 1,232 IndiGo flights were cancelled in November, with 755 directly linked to crew and FDTL constraints. The airline’s overall on-time performance for the month dropped to 67.7 per cent from 84.1 per cent in October.
For any assistance related to IndiGo flights at Kolkata Airport, passengers can contact the support numbers: 0124-4973939 and 033-2569 1167. These numbers are available for flight-related queries and support.
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