IndiGo flight cancellations and sky-high fares leave grieving family stranded

Passengers at Mumbai airport described scenes of confusion exhaustion and deep frustration as widespread IndiGo flight disruptions left hundreds stranded for hours with little communication or supportSanjay an IndiGo passenger said staff informed him that the airline had been facing ldquoglitches for the past two daysrdquo due to a software update in Airbus systems which had disrupted schedules across multiple routesldquoIndiGo isnrsquot taking any care of its customersrdquo he said ldquoI missed my connecting flight due to the delay I even tried calling the Aviation Ministry but no one answeredrdquoAccording to passengers the situation at the airport has been ldquochaoticrdquo with people standing for hours with their luggage as they waited for clarityldquoOld people and kids are also suffering because of the flight cancellationsrdquo Sanjay said He added that the next available flights for some routes were two days later while others were told they would have to wait six to seven days ldquoWhat are people supposed to do This was just a halt location for many not their destinationrdquo he said ldquoIndiGo has become careless They didnrsquot even offer a bottle of water after such a big inconveniencerdquoAnother passenger Jumman Ali Khan shared a heartbreaking accountldquoMy brother passed away yesterdayrdquo he said ldquoThe ticket prices are Rs 36000 Rs 38000 even Rs 40000 but we are poor His parents are sitting here We are not even getting a flight They are not able to gordquoHis family already grieving has been forced to wait at the airport for hours with no clarity on when they will be able to travelPassengers urged authorities to intervene immediatelyldquoThe aviation department should look into this and provide us proper servicerdquo Sanjay said ldquoWe need help nowrdquoAirline pilots body urges DGCA to review crew availability amid rising cancellationsThe Airline Pilotsrsquo Association of India ALPA on Thursday raised concerns over recent flight cancellations across the country which have been largely attributed to a pilot shortage linked to new Flight Duty Time Limit FDTL regulations The association questioned whether the crisis stems from poor airline planning regulatory oversight by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation DGCA or a combination of factors affecting market fairnessALPA highlighted that airlines including IndiGo were aware of the revised FDTL norms issued by the DGCA in January 2024 with phased implementation beginning later that year Despite sufficient lead time many carriers reportedly failed to properly adjust crew rosters 15 days in advance as required suggesting an initial underestimation or delay in strategic planning to ensure adequate pilot availabilityAviation experts have also speculated that some airlines might be using flight delays and cancellations as an ldquoimmature pressure tacticrdquo to compel regulators to relax or grant dispensations for the stricter FDTL norms potentially compromising the safety intent of these rules designed to reduce pilot fatigueSlot hoarding has also come under scrutiny The practice which involves airlines securing more flight slots than they can effectively operate is a common issue in competitive aviation Slot allocation is usually based on historical usage or ldquograndfather rightsrdquo along with the airlinersquos proposed schedule Some carriers especially during the winter schedule may ldquohoardrdquo premium slots desired by rivals but fail to utilise them adequately raising concerns over misuse