Mumbai: IndiGo formally assured the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it has secured a surplus of cockpit crew to maintain a stable flight schedule after the end of temporary flight duty time limitations (FDTL) exemptions granted to the airline. The airline assured the aviation regulator of operational stability and has claimed that it will not have to cancel any flights due to shortage of crew.
DGCA Review Meeting
In a high-level review meeting held with the DGCA on Monday, IndiGo claimed that it has adequate pilot availability against the projected operational requirement for stable operations after February 10 when the FDTL exemption ends. According to the figures, the airline claimed that it has 2,400 Airbus captains against the requirement of 2,280 and 2,240 first officers against the requirement of 2,050 personnel for its daily operations.
Regulator’s Monitoring Continues
According to the DGCA, IndiGo assured operational stability and claimed that no flights will be cancelled after February 10 based on the current approved network and crew strength. “DGCA continues to closely monitor the airline's operations, with particular emphasis on roster integrity, crew availability, buffer adequacy, system robustness, and adherence to FDTL requirements,” it said.
Current Flight Operations
Notably, IndiGo is operating around 2,200 fligths, including 300 international, on daily basis after the 10% curtailment. An internal source told the Free Press Journal that the figures presented to the regulator do not include any additional requirement in case of the induction of a new aircraft.
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Aftermath of December Crisis
IndiGo's assurance of stable operations comes as a relief to the aviation sector after its massive operational meltdown in December partially paralysed India's domestic air transport with thousands of cancellations, leaving lakhs of people stranded. The issue stemmed from its mismanagement of crew rostering to accomplish the new FDTL rules, which mandates extra rest to pilots.
DGCA Action and Penalty
In the aftermath of IndiGo's operational crisis, the DGCA had curtailed the airline's winter schedule operations by 10% and provided exemption from FDTL norms. Recently on Saturday, the DGCA also announced a penalty of Rs22.2 crore on the airline for the exemptions and asked the airline to provide data about its preparations post the end of exemptions.
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