Pilot shortage: 30 IndiGo flights to be cancelled daily till March-end
Manju.V@timesgroup.com
Mumbai:14.02.2019
Faced with acute pilot shortage, low-cost airline IndiGo cancelled nearly 50 flights across the country on Wednesday. The country’s largest airline for domestic operations has now announced a curtailed schedule for February and March, with about 30 flights cancellations planned per day. The cancellations, which will hit over 2.3 lakh , began last week and are the worst ever operational disruptions that the 12-year old carrier has ever faced. “These 30 flights represent 2% of IndiGo’s flights,” the airline said.
On Wednesday, flights to/ from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata accounted for nearly half of all cancellations. Mumbai cancellations included 6E 236 to Bengaluru,6E 3834 to Chennai and in the arrivals category, 6E 831 from Guwahati, 6E 654 from Chennai and 6E 318 from Kolkata.
Those hit from Delhi were 6E 774 to Nagpur, 6E 2131to Bengaluru and in the arrivals category, 6E 766 from Hyderabad, 6E 2652 and 6E 2622 from Chennai.
Sources said that the airline is currently in the process of recruiting foreign pilots on contract to close the gap. “IndiGo has been putting in applications to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to bring in foreign pilots under FATA (Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization),” said a DGCA source. Pilots who hold a licence issued by a foreign regulatory authority have to obtain DGCA authorization under FATA to fly in India. It’s not a speedy process. “Every Wednesday, a number of foreign pilots chosen by IndiGo have been coming to the DGCA office to give viva exams,” he added.
An IndiGo spokesperson said the airline had informed DGCA that it has cancelled 49 flights on Wednesday. “All these flights were cancelled with one to two days prior notice in order to re-accommodate passengers on flights at a similar time as booked,” the spokesperson said.
IN CRISIS
Manju.V@timesgroup.com
Mumbai:14.02.2019
Faced with acute pilot shortage, low-cost airline IndiGo cancelled nearly 50 flights across the country on Wednesday. The country’s largest airline for domestic operations has now announced a curtailed schedule for February and March, with about 30 flights cancellations planned per day. The cancellations, which will hit over 2.3 lakh , began last week and are the worst ever operational disruptions that the 12-year old carrier has ever faced. “These 30 flights represent 2% of IndiGo’s flights,” the airline said.
On Wednesday, flights to/ from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata accounted for nearly half of all cancellations. Mumbai cancellations included 6E 236 to Bengaluru,6E 3834 to Chennai and in the arrivals category, 6E 831 from Guwahati, 6E 654 from Chennai and 6E 318 from Kolkata.
Those hit from Delhi were 6E 774 to Nagpur, 6E 2131to Bengaluru and in the arrivals category, 6E 766 from Hyderabad, 6E 2652 and 6E 2622 from Chennai.
Sources said that the airline is currently in the process of recruiting foreign pilots on contract to close the gap. “IndiGo has been putting in applications to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to bring in foreign pilots under FATA (Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization),” said a DGCA source. Pilots who hold a licence issued by a foreign regulatory authority have to obtain DGCA authorization under FATA to fly in India. It’s not a speedy process. “Every Wednesday, a number of foreign pilots chosen by IndiGo have been coming to the DGCA office to give viva exams,” he added.
An IndiGo spokesperson said the airline had informed DGCA that it has cancelled 49 flights on Wednesday. “All these flights were cancelled with one to two days prior notice in order to re-accommodate passengers on flights at a similar time as booked,” the spokesperson said.
IN CRISIS
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