IndiGo crisis enters day 7; 127 flights cancelled from Bengaluru
Mumbai (PTI): Flight disruptions at IndiGo entered the seventh day as the crisis-hit carrier cancelled 127 flights from Bengaluru Airport on Monday, a source said.
In another development, aviation safety regulator DGCA in an order on Sunday late evening extended the time by Monday 6 pm for IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras to submit reply to its show cause notice over the ongoing disruptions in the airline’s operations.
In the notices issued to Elbers and Porqueras on Saturday, the regulator said the large-scale operational failures pointed to significant lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management, and asked them to submit their replies within 24 hours.
IndiGo has cancelled 127 flights, including 65 arrivals and 62 departures from Bengaluru Airport, the source said.
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The Gurugram-based airline, partially-owned by Rahul Bhatia, has been facing heat from both the government and the passengers for cancelling hundreds of flights since December 2, citing regulatory changes in the pilots' new flight duty and regulations norms, which resulted in lakhs of passengers getting stuck at airports pan-India.
For the first three days the airline failed to acknowledge the huge number of cancellations and it was only Friday when it cancelled 1,600 flights (Friday), a record in Indian aviation history that CEO Elbers released a video apologising for the major inconvenience caused to passengers due to the disruptions.
In the message, he admitted that the airline was cancelling a large number of flights, but did not mention that it would cancel 1,600 flights on that particular day.
The new norms, applicable for all domestic carriers, have come into force in two phases - July 1 and November 1 this year.
IndiGo has already temporarily secured major relaxations in the second phase norms till February 10.
The latest FDTL norms, which entail increased weekly rest periods to 48 hours, extended night hours, and limiting the number of night landings to only two, as against six earlier, were initially opposed by domestic airlines, including IndiGo and Tata Group-owned Air India.
But they were subsequently rolled out by the DGCA following the Delhi High Court's directives, albeit with a delay of over one year, in a phased manner, and with certain variations for airlines like IndiGo and Air India.
The norms were originally to be put in place from March 2024, but airlines, including IndiGo, sought a step-by-step implementation, citing additional crew requirements.
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Noida Police hunt man seen in celebratory firing video at wedding
Noida (UP) (PTI): Police have launched a search for an unidentified man after a purported video showing celebratory firing at a wedding ceremony in Sector 93 of Noida went viral on social media, officials said on Monday.
According to police, the incident took place on Saturday night at a banquet hall in Sector 93. A 32-second video circulating online shows a man wearing a half jacket over a black shirt and trousers allegedly attempting celebratory firing. The man is seen struggling with the firearm and failing to discharge it, police said.
An FIR has been registered against the unknown person at Phase Two police station and a police team has been formed to arrest him, they added.
"In connection with the viral video, an FIR has been lodged against an unidentified man. The video relates to a wedding ceremony held on Saturday at a banquet hall in Sector 93. No injuries were reported in the incident," Phase Two station in-charge Vindyachal Tiwari told PTI.
Police said the banquet hall had earlier been warned that action would be taken if any person carrying a weapon was allowed inside the premises.
Citing a Noida police advisory, officials said carrying firearms at social events is strictly prohibited and any brandishing of weapons or celebratory firing attracts action against both the firearm holder and the venue operator.
The advisory also directs event venues to keep fire safety systems functional, ensure alarm systems remain active and maintain proper parking arrangements to avoid congestion, police said.
On November 20, a 10-year-old boy was injured in a separate celebratory firing incident in Noida, in which police arrested three persons involved, officials added.
