IndiGo crisis: Panel warned DGCA on pilot fatigue, staffing months ago

• A parliamentary committee warned the DGCA in August about risks like pilot fatigue and manpower shortages, months before IndiGo's current flight cancellation crisis.
• The committee highlighted a mismatch between India's growing aircraft fleets and slower expansion of pilots and air traffic controllers, urging strict enforcement of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules.
• IndiGo's widespread flight cancellations are attributed to its failure to implement revised pilot fatigue-management norms, leading to a severe manpower crunch.
• The parliamentary panel is now expected to review IndiGo's disruptions and discuss the issue with the airline.
• The report also revealed a severe manpower crunch within the DGCA, with nearly half of its sanctioned posts vacant, posing a "structural vulnerability" to aviation safety.

Why It Matters: Ignored warnings about pilot fatigue and staffing threaten India's flight safety.