India Suspends New Crew Duty Rules After IndiGo Grounds Hundreds Of Flights, Stranding Passengers

India Suspends New Crew Duty Rules After Major Disruptions

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation has temporarily suspended newly introduced limits on airline crew duty hours after the measures triggered widespread disruption at major airports. The pause was announced late Friday and is effective immediately.

The revisions, introduced in two phases (July and November), had mandated longer mandatory rest periods and restricted night flying for pilots and cabin crew to address fatigue and safety concerns. Officials said the suspension was taken "without compromising on air safety" and was aimed at protecting passengers — particularly senior citizens, students, patients and others who depend on timely travel for essential needs.

Days Of Disruption

Friday marked the fourth consecutive day of operational disruption as IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, struggled to rework crew rosters after the second phase of the rules took effect. The problems led to hundreds of flight cancellations and delays, with passengers reporting chaotic scenes at airports: people sleeping on floors, long queues at customer service counters and little clear communication from the airline.

On Thursday more than 300 IndiGo flights were grounded and several hundred more delayed. A Delhi airport advisory on Friday said all domestic IndiGo services would remain cancelled until midnight. Other carriers, including Air India, reported far fewer disruptions.

Scale And Impact

IndiGo operates about 2,300 flights daily and controls roughly 65% of India’s domestic market, magnifying the disruption across the network. The Civil Aviation Ministry said the problems reflected misjudgment and planning gaps as the airline implemented phase two of the rules, and that the airline acknowledged the effect on crew strength had exceeded expectations.

Passenger account: Senior traveller Sajal Bose said he and his wife had their flight from Kolkata to New Delhi cancelled an hour before departure. Bose told The Associated Press he planned to take a nine-hour train to Bagdogra and then try to reach New Delhi on another carrier, calling the situation "very irresponsible" and "difficult for older people."

Airline Response

In an internal email seen by The Associated Press, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologized to employees and attributed the disruptions to a combination of technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather, heightened congestion and difficulties implementing the new duty-hour rules. The airline said it had requested temporary exemptions while adjusting operations and expected corrective measures to restore full service by Feb. 10.

The ministry emphasized that the temporary rollback is intended to protect passengers while authorities and airlines work to ensure any rule changes are rolled out without undermining safety. Regulators and carriers will continue to assess staffing, rostering systems and operational resilience as services return to normal.

Associated Press videojournalist Piyush Nagpal in New Delhi contributed to this report.