"Other airlines hiked their prices on popular routes amid the chaos, prompting the government to cap the price surge to "ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel including senior citizens, students, and patients are not subjected to financial hardship." Videos surfaced of angry crowds assaulting ground staff, breaking counters, while hurling abuse, and objects, at exhausted airline workers. Social media plaforms have been flooded with photos of luggage piling up at airports."
"The chaos has coincided with India's peak wedding season, during which families often plan lavish, days-long celebrations. "I was supposed to attend my sister's wedding, but after waiting for hours and repeated cancellations, it feels like everything is falling apart," Pratik Guha, a businessman, told DW, adding that he left the airport after 13 hours. "Fellow travellers were breaking down in tears," Manjeet Arora, a passenger from Delhi, told DW. "This is not just an inconvenience, it is a nightmare.""
"The canellations were caused by a shortage of pilots, which IndiGo admitted was a consequence of its failure to prepare in time for stricter aviation regulations. The Indian government has ordered IndiGo to deliver passengers' luggage promptlyImage: Priyanshu Singh/REUTERS The new rules designed to combat pilot fatigue increased mandatory weekly rest periods from 36 to 48 hours and slashed permitted night landings from six to two."
IndiGo canceled at least 2,000 flights since December 2, with more than 1,000 cancellations on a single Friday, leaving thousands stranded at major airports. The carrier controls roughly 65% of the market. Other airlines raised fares on popular routes, prompting a government cap to protect senior citizens, students, patients and urgent travellers. Crowds attacked exhausted ground staff and luggage piled up across airports. The disruptions coincided with India's peak wedding season, aggravating hardship. The cancellations resulted from a pilot shortage after new fatigue rules increased weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours and reduced permitted night landings from six to two, exposing a lack of staffing buffer.
Read at www.dw.com
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