Why Did IndiGo Cancel 112 Flights at Hyderabad Airport?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Hyderabad, Dec 8 (NationPress) Passengers at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) are enduring significant distress as IndiGo has cancelled 112 flights on Monday. This marks the airline's seventh consecutive day of service disruptions, with Monday's cancellations comprising 58 arrivals and 54 departures.
Amidst ongoing chaos, thousands of travelers remain affected. For the fifth straight day, the number of cancellations has exceeded 100, resulting in over 600 flights being called off at RGIA since December 2.
On Sunday (December 7), 126 flights were cancelled, while the peak occurred on December 5 with 155 cancellations, followed closely by 144 on December 6.
Numerous passengers found themselves stranded, leading to frustration and inquiries among the affected crowd.
In response, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has increased security measures at the airport to deter any potential disturbances.
The cancellations on crucial domestic routes have severely impacted travel plans for the seventh day in a row. Key routes affected include Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Goa, Madurai, and Bhubaneswar.
On a positive note, IndiGo announced that it has resumed operations at 137 out of its 138 destinations and aims to operate 1,650 flights for the day, up from 1,500 on December 6. The airline also reported an improvement in on-time performance, rising from 30% on December 6 to 75% on December 7.
To alleviate the situation, IndiGo has implemented a full waiver on cancellations and rescheduling requests for bookings made until December 15.
The airline has linked the ongoing crisis to the newly introduced Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms, which were enacted in two phases starting July and November. These regulations increase the weekly rest period to 48 hours, extend definitions of night duties, and limit night landings to two per week, following directives from the Delhi High Court.
On request from IndiGo, the aviation regulator DGCA has granted temporary leniency until February 10.