IndiGo Cancels 12 Flights Across Rajkot and Vadodara; Passengers Protest at Ahmedabad Airport

Massive Disruptions for Third Consecutive Day Due to Staff Shortage

For the third straight day, IndiGo airlines faced severe operational disruptions as a large number of flights were cancelled or delayed across Gujarat due to a shortage of staff. On Thursday, eight flights from Rajkot International Airport and four flights from Vadodara were cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Similar uncertainty was reported at Surat Airport as well.

Passengers Protest at Ahmedabad Airport

IndiGo passengers at Ahmedabad Airport raised slogans such as “Indigo Chor Hai” and “Indigo Murdabad” after prolonged delays. They also lodged complaints with the airport authorities, leading to temporary tension at the terminal.

Four IndiGo Flights Cancelled From Vadodara

IndiGo cancelled flights from Vadodara to Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Goa. A day earlier, two flights had been cancelled and two delayed. The sudden cancellations left several passengers stuck at the airport.

To handle the situation, Air India introduced two additional flights on the Delhi–Vadodara–Delhi route for Thursday and Friday. Thursday’s special flight was scheduled to reach Vadodara at 1:45 PM and depart for Delhi at 3:05 PM.

List of Cancelled Flights From Vadodara

• 6E-5126 / 6087: Mumbai–Vadodara–Mumbai
  
• 6E-5066 / 6662: Delhi–Vadodara–Delhi
  
• 6E-6241 / 6245: Pune–Vadodara–Pune
  
• 6E-2178 / 105: Hyderabad–Vadodara–Goa

Eight Flights Cancelled From Rajkot International Airport

Located near Chotila on the Rajkot–Ahmedabad highway, Rajkot International Airport operates about 12 daily flights. However, for two consecutive days, several IndiGo flights were delayed or cancelled.

On Thursday, IndiGo cancelled the following eight flights from Rajkot:

• 8:05 AM – Delhi
  
• 9:00 AM – Mumbai
  
• 12:05 PM – Goa
  
• 3:55 PM – Hyderabad
  
• 4:15 PM – Bengaluru
  
• 4:55 PM – Mumbai
  
• 5:55 PM – Delhi
  
• 7:55 PM – Mumbai
  

Passengers expressed strong frustration as cancellations and delays continued for two straight days.

Delayed Notification Adds to Passenger Woes

Rajkot Airport is around 36 km from the city. Passengers often learn about cancellations only after reaching the airport, resulting in a waste of time, money, and effort. Though IndiGo has now begun notifying passengers earlier, medical emergency travellers and international transit passengers continue to face serious inconvenience.

With persistent cancellations, many passengers travelling to Mumbai and Delhi have switched to trains.

Surat Airport Also Affected

IndiGo cancelled the morning Hyderabad–Surat flight, while a Delhi–Surat flight was diverted to Bengaluru. Afternoon flights arriving from Bengaluru, Jaipur, Goa and Kolkata also remained uncertain. As a result, outbound IndiGo schedules from Surat to these cities were not released.

Why Is IndiGo Struggling? New DGCA Norms Affect Crew Availability

Operational Stress After New Safety Rules

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is facing its fourth consecutive day of staff shortage after changes in duty regulations for pilots and crew came into effect on November 1.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) implemented new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules in two phases — July 1 and November 1 — to enhance safety standards.

IndiGo’s Scale of Operations

• 434 aircraft
  
• 2,300+ daily flights
  
• 60% share of India’s domestic aviation market
  
• 5,456 pilots and 10,212 cabin crew members
  
• 41,000+ permanent employees
  

Reason Behind Crew Shortage

Under the new FDTL norms:

• Maximum daily flight hours for pilots reduced to 8 hours
  
• Allowed night landings reduced from 6 to 2
  
• Mandatory crew rest time increased to 10 hours within 24 hours
  

IndiGo sources claim that their scheduling system is still adjusting to these changes, resulting in sudden crew shortages on several key routes.