IndiGo crisis deepens: At 3.7%, airline's on-time performance hits a record low on Friday

IndiGo's on-time performance fell to 3.7% on Friday, likely an all-time low on a day when thousands of passengers were stranded across airports nationwide, as the airline cancelled more than 1,000 flights due to its tardy approach to adding more pilots.

The country’s largest carrier, which prides itself on its punctuality, saw its on-time performance plunge to 3.7% from 35% on Tuesday, when flight delays and cancellations started to mount.

In contrast, Akasa Air, Alliance Air, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Air India reported on-time performances of 79%, 73%, 66.3%, 62.3%, and 61%, respectively, on Friday, according to data from the ministry of civil aviation.

This week was a nightmare for passengers, as they waited endlessly at airports, staring at display screens turning red, as flight delays and cancellations made some of the airports resemble bustling railway stations.

IndiGo, whose 2,200 daily flights accounted for two-thirds of the country’s departures before this ongoing crisis, has said it will return to normalcy, at the latest by 15 December.

IndiGo on Saturday said in a statement that it will operate over 1500 flights by end of day (against a daily domestic departure of 2200) connecting 135 destinations.

“Over 95% of network connectivity has already been re-established as we are able to operate to 135 out of the existing 138 destinations in operations,” the company spokesperson said.

New airline rules, two years in the making

Air travel in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market was thrown into chaos after IndiGo started delaying and cancelling flights starting Monday. This was weeks after India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s planned second phase of regulations came into effect from 1 November.

DGCA had proposed two airline rules under the so-called flight duty time limitations, or FDTL, norms that had been in the works for over two years. The first, effective 1 July, mandated increasing pilots’ weekly rest to 48 hours and barred substituting pilots’ leave with weekly rest.

On Friday, DGCA rolled back this rule for all carriers after chaos unfolded at the country's airports with scores of cancelled Indigo flights lealving thousands of passengers stranded.

Under the new rules for the second phase, effective 1 November, an airline pilot could fly twice in a week between midnight and 6 am. It applies to all airlines except IndiGo, India's largest carrier by fleet, service size, and market share, which is given extra time. IndiGo has been given until 10 February to implement this rule, as the DGCA granted the airline an exemption, even as other airlines must adhere to the ruling.

This rule means airlines must hire more pilots, as each can only fly two consecutive nights before resting.