According to the Indian Express, the disruption has led to chaos at various Indian airports. Social media was replete with IndiGo passengers expressing their frustration at long delays and cancellations. Many also complained that they had to take expensive flights with other carriers due to the disruption.

IndiGo apologised and initiated “calibrated adjustments” to its flight schedule, which involve rescheduling and cancellation of some flights to stabilise operations in line with crew availability. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also stepped in, asking the airline to present the “facts leading to the current situation” and submit mitigation plans.

The new FDTL rules apply to all domestic airlines, so why has IndiGo been so severely affected? According to industry insiders, the answer lies in a number of factors, including IndiGo’s massive scale of operations and a high-frequency network, significant number of late night and wee hour flights, and its model of high aircraft and crew utilisation levels.

Also, other Indian carriers are at present operating at lower-than-optimal aircraft utilisation levels due to reasons like delayed new aircraft deliveries and planes grounded for refit. This gives them more flexibility in crew rostering as more pilots are available relative to their fleet sizes.

Under the new FDTL rules, the weekly rest period for pilots has been increased to 48 hours from 36 and night landings have been limited to two from six earlier. This is learnt to have impacted IndiGo’s crew rostering significantly. The norms have also extended the definition of night hours by an hour, imposing additional constraints on the airline’s operations. The new rules are aimed at better combating pilot fatigue, a key risk in aviation safety.

These rules were initially going to be implemented from June 2024, but the rollback was delayed following pushback from IndiGo and other airlines. The airlines’ primary argument was that the new norms would require more crew strength, and they wanted the implementation in a step-by-step manner over an extended period. However, the rules were implemented this year by the DGCA following a direction from the Delhi High Court.

They were rolled out in two phases, in July and November.

While IndiGo managed the first phase—which included longer weekly rest periods for crew—without much impact, the second phase, requiring curtailed crew utilisation levels for the ‘red eye’ flights, has hit IndiGo a lot harder than other carriers. Under the new FDTL rules, permitted night landings for flight crew are now restricted to two, from six earlier.

A champion of the low-cost carrier model, IndiGo’s aircraft and crew utilisation levels are higher than other Indian carriers. The airline also has more high-volume night-time flights than the others. With its fleet of over 400 aircraft, IndiGo operates over 2,300 flights a day, connecting over 90 domestic and 45 international destinations. And it does so with a lean staffing model.

Even a 10 per cent flight cancellation rate would mean over 230 cancelled flights for IndiGo. By contrast, the next biggest airline group, Air India, operates less than half the number of flights.

A narrow-body aircraft like the Airbus A320—which forms the bulk of IndiGo’s fleet—usually operates multiple flights a day. This means that delays and cancellations can quickly cascade. The situation becomes worse if flight crews reach their duty hour caps due to delays and the airline has to scramble for a replacement crew.

According to the DGCA, IndiGo informed the regulator that it had 1,232 flight cancellations in November, 755 of which were due to crew and FDTL-related constraints, 258 were due to airspace and airport restrictions, 92 were due to air traffic control system failure incidents, while 127 were due to various other reasons. The airline’s on-time performance (OTP) also worsened in November to 67.7 per cent from 84.1 per cent in October. With widespread disruption in early December, the OTP of IndiGo, which has for long prided itself as India’s most punctual airline, has crashed further.

In a statement on Wednesday evening, the airline said that a multitude of “unforeseen operational challenges” have disrupted its flight operations. These, according to the airline, include minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the full implementation of the new FDTL rules.

As per the DGCA, IndiGo is also strengthening crew planning and rostering while adhering to FDTL norms, enhancing coordination with air traffic control (ATC) and airports to manage capacity constraints, and improving its turnaround and disruption-management processes.

Pilot associations have claimed the carrier was not prepared for the new FDTL rules despite sufficient notice. Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) said the flight disruptions reflected a failure of proactive resource planning by dominant airlines, adding that there could be an effort to pressurise the DGCA to dilute the new norms.

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) said that the disruption is a direct consequence of IndiGo’s “prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy across departments, particularly in flight operations”. It also claimed that there are growing concerns that the flight delays and cancellations may be used to “arm-twist regulators” whenever rules do not suit the airlines

“Despite the two-year preparatory window before full FDTL implementation, the airline inexplicably adopted a hiring freeze, entered non-poaching arrangements, maintained a pilot pay freeze through cartel-like behavior, and demonstrated other short-sighted planning practices,” the FIP said in a statement.

The grouping also claimed that following the rollout of the first phase of the new FDTL rules on July 1, IndiGo reduced pilot leave quotas, and after the second phase roll-out, tried to buy back pilot leave. According to the FIP, these measures further damaged pilot and employee morale at the airline, “especially in a year when airline executives took home record increments approaching or exceeding 100 per cent, while simultaneously blaming pilot migration instead of investing in retention and workplace improvements”.

The two pilot associations also urged the DGCA to approve seasonal flight schedules only after airlines prove they have adequate pilot strength under the new FDTL norms, instead of depending on historical slot usage and the carriers’ proposed flight schedules.

“If IndiGo continues to fail in delivering on its commitments to passengers due to its own avoidable staffing shortages, FIP urges DGCA to consider re-evaluating and reallocating slots to airlines such as Air India, Akasa Air and others who have the capacity to operate them without disruption during the peak holiday and fog season,” the FIP said.

New Delhi, Dec 05: Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, stated that Russia has always been “India’s Sukh Dukh Ka Saathi,” meaning a companion in both good and bad times, at the India-Russia Business Forum held on Thursday in New Delhi.

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation, Maxim Oreshkin, was the keynote speaker at the event.

“India-Russia trade has made remarkable strides, with volumes nearing USD 70 billion, yet immense potential remains untapped, as India’s share in Russia’s imports is still under 2 per cent, a figure that does not capture the true ambition of our partnership. Our shared focus is to foster more balanced and mutually rewarding trade, aiming to exceed USD 100 billion by 2030, driven by stronger Indian exports. We see particularly promising avenues for collaboration in consumer goods, food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, telecom and electronics, industrial components, and the mobility of skilled talent,” Goyal said.

The India-Russia Business Forum was organised around the theme “Sell to Russia” and focused on pathways to expand India’s exports to the Russian market, with the objective of achieving more balanced bilateral trade, generating new opportunities for business and investment, and promoting shared, sustainable growth in both economies.

Piyush Goyal and Maxim Oreshkin led the thematic session. Rajiv Ranjan Singh, the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajesh Agrawal, Commerce Secretary, Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, NS Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, and other senior officials from the Government of India were part of the gathering.

The Russian side was represented by Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Economic Development, Oksana Lut, Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Maksut Shadayev, Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media and Alexey Gruzdev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Senior business leaders from both sides who took part in detailed discussions that covered sectors such as energy, minerals, engineering goods, automobiles and transport equipment, agriculture and food processing, pharmaceuticals, information technology, digital services and financial solutions.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks, Goyal noted that “no matter how low the temperature dips during the Russian winter, the India-Russia friendship will always remain full of warmth.”

Recalling the first summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin in 2014, Goyal said that during that meeting, the two leaders had set a target of achieving USD 30 billion in bilateral trade by 2025.

Goyal noted that the target has already been achieved and, in fact, India and Russia today have twice that level of trade. He emphasised that while reaching USD 70 billion is a significant milestone, the current pattern of trade needs to be more balanced.

He stressed the need to bring greater diversity into the bilateral trade basket, both in terms of products and sectors, to ensure more equitable and sustainable growth.

Goyal underlined that there is a vast range of offerings from India that can meet Russian requirements, just as there are many areas in which India can benefit from Russian strengths.

He said there is “so much to offer between both countries” and added that India sees enormous possibilities to increase its exports to Russia.

Goyal highlighted that by working together, particularly through stronger participation of the business communities in both nations, the “untapped potential” in the trade relationship can be fully realised.

He expressed confidence that collaborative efforts will help address the trade imbalance in the near future and enable both sides to reduce and eliminate existing barriers, create enabling conditions for business, and open up new opportunities for companies on both sides.

He underlined that the India-Russia relationship, honoured as a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership”, is time-tested and resilient. He said this partnership has withstood global uncertainties and has consistently reflected unwavering solidarity between the two nations in support of each other’s people and economies.

Goyal said that India is poised to grow from a USD 4 trillion economy today to USD 30-35 trillion by 2047, when the nation celebrates 100 years of independence.

He highlighted India’s successful navigation of global headwinds, including the pandemic, geopolitical tensions and supply shocks, and noted that India is now among the world’s top five economies, soon to become the third-largest.

He pointed out that inflation remains low, with the consumer price index at 0.25% last month and expected to remain between 2-2.5% over the year. He added that India’s growth estimates for the current year have been consistently revised upwards, with GDP expanding 7.8% in Q1 and 8.2% in Q2.

The Minister noted that Russia has a strong demand for a wide range of industrial goods and consumer products, which creates substantial opportunities for Indian businesses. He stated that several sectors already show clear potential, including automobiles, tractors, heavy commercial vehicles, electronics, smartphones, data-processing equipment, heavy machinery, industrial components, textiles and food products.

He added that these segments represent areas where India can significantly increase its presence in the Russian market.

Goyal highlighted the strength of India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, pointing out that India has developed the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. He said this ecosystem is driving innovation in areas such as deep-tech, agri-tech, fintech, defence, semiconductors and space.

He emphasised that this growing base of startups and innovators reflects India’s capability across multiple sectors.

Goyal further said that India has become a destination of choice for investors who are looking for high-value returns. The Minister said that India’s young, skilled and committed workforce can help meet Russia’s projected shortfall of three million skilled professionals. He added that Indian youth are hardworking, outcome-oriented and willing to take on demanding responsibilities, including long working hours when required.

Referring to Oreshkin’s remarks at the G20 Summit in South Africa, Goyal said that while the world faces crises of openness, institutions and development models, India stands out as a reliable and forward-looking partner. He stated that India continues to expand trade, strengthen institutions and regulatory processes, and follow an inclusive and sustainable development model focused on the welfare of 1.4 billion people.

He noted that India’s economy, underpinned by major investments in infrastructure and rising consumer spending, remains one of the fastest-growing globally.

Speaking on reforms, Goyal said that macroeconomic stability and strong fundamentals have been supported by transformational initiatives such as the Goods and Services Tax, simplification of compliance processes, reduction of tax rates and continuous improvement in ease of doing business. He added that India’s new labour codes streamline 29 existing laws into four, providing better wages, social security and safer working conditions, including for gig and contract workers.

He emphasised that India produces the world’s largest number of STEM graduates, 2.4 million annually, and that their talent in areas such as design, analytics and research can significantly enhance Russia’s global competitiveness.

Quoting Russian poet Rasul Gamzatov, Goyal said, “There are no distant lands for those who have a friend nearby. Mountains do not divide us; they only lift our gaze higher.”

Goyal concluded by expressing confidence that the discussions at the Forum would pave the way for new collaborations, strengthened partnerships and shared prosperity between India and Russia.

Anant Goenka, President, FICCI, said, “The future of the India-Russia partnership lies in high-growth, high-innovation sectors: digital transformation, AI and emerging technologies, green energy, mobility and advanced manufacturing, financial innovation, and startups. India and Russia do not merely trade in goods, we trade in trust. It is this trust, built over decades, that gives our partnership its strength.”

Both sides reiterated their commitment to deepen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, work towards achieving the shared objective of crossing USD 100 billion in annual trade by 2030, promote balanced growth in goods, expand trade in services and encourage investments, and widen cooperation across connectivity, innovation and inter-regional linkages, so that the expanding economic engagement translates into rising prosperity for the people of India and Russia.