India’s largest carrier has cancelled or delayed hundreds of flights over the past week, triggering regulatory scrutiny. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up a four-member panel to probe the disruptions.
Responding to a query from PTI at a media briefing in Geneva, Walsh said the recently implemented Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for pilots “seem to have led to the operational challenges at IndiGo.”
“I am not fully up to speed with the events there at the moment. I know that IndiGo appears to be making progress in getting back to full operations… but I think you’re probably best directing the question at the IndiGo team,” he added. IndiGo is among the nearly 360 members of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Walsh’s remarks came hours before IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said the airline’s operations had stabilised.
The disruptions are widely attributed to inadequate planning around the new FDTL norms, which came into effect on November 1 and alter duty-hour limits for pilots.
In the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said “strict and appropriate action” would be taken against IndiGo over the flight disruptions.
IANS
