IndiGo cancels 42 Pune flights; pilots slam DGCA relief as chaos enters 5th day

• IndiGo cancelled 42 flights at Pune airport, stranding passengers, marking the fifth consecutive day of operational disruptions for the airline.
• On Saturday, IndiGo cancelled over 400 flights from four major airports (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad), following over 1,000 cancellations on Friday.
• The disruptions are linked to operational challenges and new flight duty and rest period norms for cockpit crew.
• The DGCA provided temporary relief to IndiGo by relaxing night duty definitions and pilot landing requirements.
• The Airlines' Pilots Association (ALPA India) objected to the DGCA's "selective and unsafe" relief, warning of heightened passenger risk, leading the Ministry of Civil Aviation to postpone revised FDTL CAR implementation.

Why It Matters: DGCA's pilot rule changes for IndiGo raise safety concerns for air travelers.