IndiGo Faces Flight Cuts as DGCA Exemptions End February 10

NEW DELHI: IndiGo could temporarily cut some more flights from its schedule after Feb 10, when the exemption granted by DGCA to comply with the new flight-duty time limitations (FDTL) ends. The airline assured DGCA on Monday that it would ensure there were no disruptions from next month under the new rules, which require carriers to recruit more pilots to maintain schedules. IndiGo said it might opt for a "short-term network readjustment", if needed. The airline cut its schedule by 10% after the Dec fiasco, involving mass cancellation of flights triggered by a shortage of pilots and cabin crew to meet the updated FDTL criteria. It currently operates 2,200 domestic and international flights daily, of which about 350 are through its turboprop ATR fleet and the rest on Airbus A320/A321s. To minimise fresh cuts from Feb 10, when the FDTL exemption for Airbus pilots ends, IndiGo will shift some medium to short routes currently served by A320s to ATR. While this will slightly reduce number of flights on A320s, it will enable the airline to minimise further flight cuts and operate the truncated schedule without any hiccups. Both aviation ministry and DGCA are closely monitoring the process. DGCA has been getting constant updates from IndiGo, which will be matched with the proposed operations post-Feb 10 to ensure there are no slippages. "If any cuts are needed, it will be decided well in time to ensure there are no last-minute cancellations that leave flyers stranded at airports. Affected passengers of flights that may need to be cut after Feb 10 will be informed ahead of time and given the option of a refund or alternative flights. We won't allow inconvenience to the public," an official said. IndiGo's challenge is to set its house in order and mend fences with pilots. End of Article