Opinion Express View on Delhi airport chaos: Grounded
It underlines need for airlines, airport authorities and DGCA to plan for uncertainties, including those caused by fog and bad weather
DGCA data show that IndiGo controls 60 per cent of the market, while the TATA Group-owned Vistara, Air India and AIX Connect have a combined market share of 26 per cent. 
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On Sunday, a passenger on an IndiGo Delhi-Goa flight was arrested for allegedly assaulting the pilot after dense fog forced a flight delay of more than 10 hours. This IndiGo flight was not the only one to have been delayed. As reported in this paper, data from Flightradar24 show that 508 outbound flights from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were delayed on Sunday, while 87 were cancelled. More than 400 inbound flights were delayed and 42 were cancelled. As airline networks are integrated, and aircraft and crew tend to serve multiple flights across sectors, delays due to bad weather in one airport, especially a hub like Delhi, can have ripple effects. Social media platforms are awash with passengers complaining about long delays and cancellations.
There cannot be any justification for the violence by the passenger. However, the recent criticism of the aviation sector should lead to course corrections. In recent times, several cases of passenger neglect, shoddy services and unprofessional behaviour by airline staff have come to light. Part of the explanation could be traced to the structure of the sector — a duopoly dominated by IndiGo and the Tata Group.
DGCA data show that IndiGo controls 60 per cent of the market, while the TATA Group-owned Vistara, Air India and AIX Connect have a combined market share of 26 per cent. It is axiomatic that in markets characterised by a lack of strong competition, companies focus less on innovation and quality. This has a bearing on the services they offer. The consumers, airline passengers, in this case, have limited alternatives. While delays due to weather, inadequate airport infrastructure or unforeseen emergencies may be beyond the control of airlines, at the very least they can ensure that the passengers are well looked after.
The Delhi airport has four runways, of which two can handle aircraft in extremely low visibility. However, as reported in this newspaper, one of these runways is currently inoperative. Compounding the problem, the other runway “was recently downgraded in category from one end due to construction activity”. Following the chaos on Sunday, the authorities seem to have sprung into action.
The DCGA has issued a set of standard operating procedures asking airlines to publish real-time information about flight delays and ensure that all passengers are kept informed. The aviation sector needs to do more. Dense fog has become inextricably linked to Delhi’s winter season. These aren’t really unforeseeable weather events. Shouldn’t the airlines, the airport authorities and DGCA plan for them? The inadequacy of infrastructure facilities can be anticipated in advance and corrective actions taken to prevent chaos. Considering the dramatic expansion of the airline sector in India — the number of operational airports in the country has touched 148 — much more planning and preparation is called for.
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