IndiGo's Bengaluru Nightmare: 73 Flights Cancelled in a Day! Passengers Protest Amidst Airport Chaos - What's Going On?

IndiGo, India's largest airline, has been grappling with significant operational disruptions, leading to widespread flight cancellations at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport.

Widespread Cancellations Disrupt Travel

• On December 4, a total of 73 IndiGo flights were cancelled at Bengaluru airport, impacting 41 arrivals and 32 departures.
• This surge in cancellations follows similar disruptions on previous days, with 62 flights cancelled on December 3 and 20 flights on December 2.
• The continuous cancellations have caused considerable inconvenience to a large number of passengers.

Passenger Frustration Boils Over

• The situation escalated on December 3, when stranded passengers at Bengaluru airport resorted to protests against the repeated flight cancellations and delays.
• A video showing passengers arguing with CISF personnel over a delayed flight to Goa went viral, highlighting the intense frustration.

IndiGo Cites Multiple Operational Challenges

• IndiGo acknowledged the network-wide disruptions over the past two days and issued an apology to its customers.
• The airline attributed the issues to a combination of unforeseen operational challenges.
  • Minor technology glitches.
  • Schedule changes related to the winter season.
  • Adverse weather conditions.
  • Increased congestion within the broader aviation system.
  • The implementation of updated crew rostering rules, specifically Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
• IndiGo stated that these factors had a negative compounding impact that was difficult to anticipate.

Mitigation and Recovery Efforts

• To address the ongoing disruptions and restore normalcy, IndiGo has initiated "calibrated adjustments" to its flight schedules.
• These measures are expected to remain in place for the next 48 hours.
• The airline aims to normalize operations and progressively recover its punctuality across the network.
• Affected customers are being offered alternate travel arrangements or refunds as applicable.
• IndiGo has advised passengers to verify their latest flight status before proceeding to the airport.

Impact

• The ongoing flight cancellations and disruptions are likely to affect IndiGo's reputation and customer loyalty, potentially leading to a short-term dip in investor confidence in InterGlobe Aviation.
• The airline's ability to quickly resolve these operational issues and restore punctuality will be crucial for its market standing.
• The incident highlights potential systemic challenges within the Indian aviation sector, including pilot scheduling and infrastructure capacity.
• Impact Rating: 7/10

Difficult Terms Explained

• Operational reasons: Issues related to the day-to-day running and management of airline services.
• Schedule changes linked to the winter season: Adjustments made to flight timings and frequency due to seasonal variations affecting air traffic and demand.
• Increased congestion in the aviation system: A situation where the overall air traffic control, airport infrastructure, and flight paths are overloaded, leading to delays.
• Updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations): New regulations that set limits on how long pilots and cabin crew can work and mandate specific rest periods, impacting flight scheduling.
• Calibrated adjustments: Carefully planned and controlled modifications to schedules to manage disruptions without causing further chaos.
• Punctuality: The state of being on time; in aviation, it refers to flights departing and arriving as scheduled.