Relief for IndiGo; DGCA withdraws pilot weekly rest rule

NEW DELHI: After IndiGo’s flight operations were thrown into disarray, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has withdrawn the new rules related to pilots’ duty hours. The DGCA had earlier directed airlines to split weekly rest periods and leave for crew members into two parts, but this instruction has now been cancelled.

More than 600 IndiGo flights were disrupted today because of the revised duty-time norms for pilots. This led to major chaos at airports in Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and several other cities. In Delhi alone, 225 flights were cancelled. Across the country, around 600 flights were called off. Following this, IndiGo filed a complaint with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, which led to the Centre stepping in.

The issue was raised in Parliament as well, with strong protests from members. With the rules withdrawn, the airline will be able to restart more services soon. It may take about two days for flight operations to return to normal.