Chaos as Indian airline IndiGo flights severely disrupted

India's biggest domestic airline is struggling to maintain flying schedules after new government regulations. IndiGo acknowledged the delays, suggesting disruptions might continue for 48 hours.

Thousands of Indianairline IndiGo passengers suffered flight cancellations and delays for the third day on Thursday, as the airline grapples with new government regulations that affect its staff's working hours.

At least 175 IndiGo flights were canceled as of early Thursday, the Reuters news agency reported, with 150 more flights canceled on Wednesday. Passengers were left stranded at major Indian airports including New Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune and Bengaluru.

The airline accounts for 60% of domestic flights in India.

What do we know about the new flying regulations?

The Indian government announced last year new regulations for flying and staff that came into effect in early November.

They include:

• Increasing pilots' mandatory rest per week from 36 hours to 48 hours
• Allowing pilots only two night-time landings per week, down from six
• Tighter caps on cumulative duty hours

It is unclear why the new regulations only started to affect IndiGo this week. Other Indian airlines, including Air India and Spicejet, have not had to cancel flights.

What did IndiGo say about the flight disruptions?

The airline, which has long prided itself on its punctuality, acknowledged the delays in a statement shared by multiple Indian news websites.

"A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations), had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated," IndiGo said.

It said it has introduced "calibrated adjustments" to address the delays, suggesting the issue might last another 48 hours.

India's aviation watchdog, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has scheduled a meeting with IndiGo officials on Thursday to further inspect the matter.

The two-decade old airline operates over 2,000 flights daily, utilizing a fleet of over 400 planes.

IndiGo staff often proudly announce "IndiGo Standard Time" when boarding has been completed ahead of schedule, a play on "Indian Standard Time."

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher