India orders crisis-hit IndiGo to cut flights by 5%

NEW DELHI: India’s aviation regulator has ordered IndiGo to cut its planned flights by 5% after the airline scrapped at least 2,000 flights last week due to poor pilot roster planning.

In a notice disclosed on Tuesday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked IndiGo to submit a revised schedule by Wednesday.

The regulator told IndiGo to cut flights on routes where rival airlines operate and avoid those where the airline holds a monopoly. The notice did not specify an end date for the mandated cuts.

IndiGo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The DGCA had approved 15,014 IndiGo departures per week for the winter season when travel demand picks up in India. But the airline cancelled 951 flights in November out of the 64,346 flights approved for the entire month.

India plans action against IndiGo over flight cancellations to ‘set an example’

IndiGo shares were down 0.22% at 4,912 rupees on Tuesday. They have lost nearly 17.1% of their value since December 1.

The airline has faced fierce criticism for not adequately planning for new rest periods for pilots as well as duty rules that came into effect on November 1, leaving planes stranded on the ground and affecting the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers.