In Focus by The Hindu Indigo’s ‘cancel culture’: Is India’s aviation sector jinxed?
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Dec 12, 2025 Jagriti Chandra, an aviation correspondent at The Hindu, dives into the turmoil surrounding Indigo's recent mass cancellations. She examines how failure to prepare for new Flight Duty Time Limitation rules has led to operational chaos. Jagriti discusses the implications of pilot fatigue, regulatory shortcomings, and the competitive landscape of India's aviation sector. With the DGCA now monitoring Indigo's operations, she questions if systemic issues in the industry might have contributed to this current crisis.
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Stricter Duty Rules Aim To Reduce Fatigue
- The new Flight Duty Time Limitation rules expand night duty definitions and cap night landings to reduce pilot fatigue.
- DGCA also tightened fatigue reporting, roster notification and included deadheading in duty time to improve safety.
Flying Grew Faster Than Pilot Headcount
- Indigo expanded flying but did not grow pilot strength proportionately, creating operational strain.
- The paper's analysis shows flying grew ~9% while pilot share fell, intensifying workload after COVID.
Pilot Hiring Would Have Been Economically Modest
- Hiring 900 pilots would cost Indigo roughly ₹550 crore, only 6–8% of its PAT, indicating the expense was affordable.
- This suggests the crisis resulted from cost-cutting priorities, not absolute inability to fund recruitment.