IndiGo faces chaos again! Over 60 flights cancelled across India due to fog and low visibility. Pilots, planes, and passengers all impacted- what’s causing these repeated disruptions, and how is the airline coping?
IndiGo cancels 67 flights as dense fog disrupts operations across major airports
New Delhi: Domestic carrier IndiGo faced a fresh wave of operational disruptions on Thursday, cancelling 67 flights across multiple airports due to widespread fog and poor visibility. According to the airline’s website, only four of these cancellations were due to operational reasons, while the rest were triggered by adverse weather conditions at airports including Agartala, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Varanasi, and Bengaluru.
The cancellations come during the DGCA’s official fog window, which runs annually from December 10 to February 10, a period during which low-visibility operations are strictly regulated.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) mandates that airlines adhere to Category III fog operations guidelines, which require deployment of pilots trained for low-visibility landings and aircraft equipped with advanced landing systems. Category IIIA allows landing with a runway visual range of 200 metres, while Category IIIB permits operations even when visibility drops below 50 metres.
IndiGo to pay Rs 376 crore compensation to 3.8 lakh passengers; Details inside
IndiGo, which had originally scheduled around 2,144 flights per day for the winter season, is currently operating a curtailed schedule due to ongoing DGCA monitoring following massive disruptions earlier this month.
Earlier in December, IndiGo faced severe operational chaos after implementing updated pilot rest rules, leading to the cancellation of nearly 1,600 flights in a single day. In response, the government reduced the airline’s domestic winter schedule by 10%, restricting it to 1,930 flights per day for the remainder of the season.
The initial cancellations were attributed to poor planning and crew shortages as the airline struggled to comply with new regulations on pilot duty hours and rest requirements. Millions of passengers were affected, facing long delays and travel disruptions.
The DGCA has formed a four-member panel, including Joint DG Sanjay Brahamane and Deputy DG Amit Gupta, to probe the airline’s operational failures. IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras have already been questioned, and the panel is expected to submit its findings by the end of the week.
Dense fog cripples Delhi Airport as over 100 flights cancelled, IndiGo issues advisory
IndiGo issued a statement on X saying: “Low visibility and fog over Bangalore has impacted flight schedule. We are keeping a close watch on the weather and doing our best to ensure safe and smooth operations.”
Passengers, however, expressed frustration over repeated delays. One traveler reported delays exceeding five hours on their outbound flight and three hours on the return journey, highlighting the inconvenience caused to senior citizens and families.
