This is management failure, govt policy was finalised year ago: Aviation Expert Harsh Vardhan on IndiGo crisis

New Delhi [India], December 5 : Aviation Expert Harsh Vardhan held IndiGo Management responsible for disruptions to its operations, leading to severe delays and congestion at major airports across the country, and said that the management should have taken proactive steps, as the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) policy was finalised a year ago.
Speaking to ANI, Harsh Vardhan said, "It's a very unprecedented situation in the aviation industry. Passengers have been suffering since last three days. This is peak tourist, wedding and business season. IndiGo's explanation is that because the government enforced a new flight and duty time limitation policy so this has suddenly caused problems. This is a management failure. Management should have taken proactive steps because the government policy didn't come about in 24 hours. It was deliberate for years. Then a year ago, the policy was finalised."
He further said that the soft launch was done on July 1, 2025 and the full roll out was done on November 1, 2025.
"Other operators, like Air India and SpiceJet, have prepared for this situation. They have planned for it, and we don't see those kinds of problems with any other operator. They command 40 percent market share. IndiGo is not a startup anymore. They have been operating since last 20 years. But one of the things which perplexes me is the timing. The government policy started on 1st November 2025, and we are suddenly facing this rampage after one month," he said.
He further said that a lot of people are saying it is deliberate to push the government to revert to the old policy because the new policy has certain cost implications besides major induction. They have admitted their lapse.
"They have asked for a concession for implementation of the policy, and three months' relief has been granted to them. I don't think in three months they can resolve the issue because inducting 200 pilots as captains and 200 pilots as co-pilots is going to take time. IndiGo has a fleet of 500 aircraft and 10 percent of fleet is 50 aircraft. This is the size of full-scale large airline. This is a gap which will take time
"In the meantime, either IndiGo has to reduce operations or go for a crash induction program. But even with that, even if you can get trained, qualified manpower, you still need almost a year, a year and a half, to induct and train them into your fleet. It's not that you shift from one car to another. Even if you are qualified in the same aircraft, you take time to familiarise yourself, get regulatory approvals and other things. It is going to take time," he added.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held IndiGo's mismanagement regarding its crew, with respect to the new FDTL regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), responsible for the disruption.
Speaking to ANI, he said the events that have unfolded in major airports led the Civil Aviation Ministry to grant IndiGo a certain abeyance from FDTL norms to ensure normalcy.
"From November 1, the DGCA came up with new FDTL (flight duty time limitation) regulations. The Ministry also initiated a continuous engagement process with the airlines for at least 6 months. Previously, there was no issue regarding the new FDTL norm. Other airlines, including Air India and Spice Jet, have adjusted. However, what has unfolded is due to mismanagement by IndiGo regarding its crew. We have given certain abeyance regarding FDTL norms to IndiGo to ensure normalcy," Naidu said.
IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers categorically stated that things are expected to return to normal between December 10 and 15.
"December 5 was the most severely impacted day, with the number of cancellations well over 1000. I extend our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience it has caused to our customers. It will take some time to return to a full normal situation, which we do anticipate between 10-15 December," Elbers said in a video message.
IndiGo's dominant market share of almost 70% has raised concerns about a monopoly. The recent cancellation of over 500 flights has stranded thousands of passengers, sparking outrage in Parliament.
The DGCA has attributed the disruptions to IndiGo's "misjudgment and gap in planning" in implementing new pilot duty-hour regulations. The centre has directed airlines to implement measures to resolve the disruptions and ensure passenger refunds.
IndiGo has been granted a one-time exemption from the DGCA's pilot night duty rules until February 10, 2026. This exemption allows IndiGo to bypass stricter flight duty and rest period norms, specifically those related to night duty between 0000 and 0650 hours and to night operations. The DGCA has also withdrawn the rule that restricted airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest.
The exemption is aimed at stabilising IndiGo's operations and reducing passenger disruptions caused by the airline's pilot staffing crunch. However, the Airlines' Pilots Association (ALPA) of India has criticised the decision, arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent and undermines established safety regulations.