Indian airlines are now required to offer 60% of seats for free and ensure families sit together, as the government strengthens passenger rights and addresses concerns about high seat selection fees.
The Indian government disclosed that 176 aircraft operated by non-scheduled and general aviation operators lack flight data and cockpit voice recorders, raising safety concerns. The disclosure was made in response to a query in the Rajya Sabha.
The Federation of Indian Pilots, said the union has written to the DGCA raising concerns over the extension.
The DGCA has revised air ticket refund norms, allowing passengers to cancel or change tickets without additional charges within 48 hours of booking, subject to conditions. The new rules also address name correction fees and medical emergency cancellations.
Airports across the country have been placed on operational alert to manage potential flight diversions, unscheduled landings and passenger facilitation requirements.
A passenger on an Akasa Air flight from Delhi to Goa was arrested for allegedly smoking a 'beedi' in the lavatory and possessing a lighter, endangering the safety of the flight.
'It has got to be the biggest error in aviation. If it is the biggest error, then all those individuals in positions of power should be removed because they have caused the biggest meltdown in Indian aviation history.'
Under the proposal, if a foreign carrier does not operate flights to a particular Indian airport for 'four consecutive IATA seasons', the regulator may suspend that airport authorisation.
The aviation regulator stated that the "primary cause" of the disruptions was IndiGo's failure to make "adequate arrangements" to meet the revised staffing, duty-time and rostering requirements under the newly implemented Flight Duty Time Limitations scheme.
Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East following attacks on Iran by Israel and the US. The civil aviation ministry is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with airlines to ensure passenger safety and minimize disruptions.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on Friday requested the cooperation of all pilots to ensure smooth flight operations amid massive IndiGo flight disruptions.
Aviation watchdog DGCA has set up a four-member committee to carry out a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances that led to the massive flight disruptions.
While this doesn't mean that air travel is now a breeze, what it does mean is that you now have more rights and more control over your money.
The Competition Commission of India, following its preliminary inquiry, said the airline appeared to have caused an appreciable adverse effect on competition by restricting its services.
Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take measures to protect Indian citizens in the Middle East due to escalating geopolitical tensions, including initiating evacuation plans and enhancing diplomatic efforts.
Sri Lanka has established emergency hotlines and is in close contact with its diplomatic missions in West Asia following escalating tensions in the region. The country is also preparing its airports for potential flight diversions and emergencies.
The government on Friday announced putting in place a regulator for the civil aviation sector.
Pilots' body Airlines' Pilots Association (ALPA) India on Friday took 'strong' objection to safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s 'selective and unsafe' relief to domestic carrier IndiGo, amid widescale cancellations, saying the decision sets a dangerous precedent.
Following a fatal Learjet crash, the AAIB is urging the DGCA to implement stricter standard operating procedures for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flights at uncontrolled airfields to improve aviation safety in India.
'Extending 'flight duty period' and 'flight time' limits for minimum crew complement operations increases exposure to fatigue-related performance degradation'
'During the meeting with DGCA on Monday, IndiGo assured operational stability and no flight cancellations after February 10, 2026, based on the current approved network, above (sufficient) crew strength.'
Sri Lanka has established emergency hotlines and is closely monitoring the situation in West Asia following escalating tensions, urging restraint and de-escalation from all parties involved.
In recent times, there have also been instances of GPS spoofing and interference incidents at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai airports.
IndiGo has informed DGCA that 'all refunds for IndiGo flight cancellations during the period of December 3-5 have been fully processed and cleared to the original source of payment.'
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing the incident reported on November 26. The regulator had asked the airline to carry out an internal probe to fix the responsibility and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
Blaming Indigo entirely for the crisis, Naidu said that even on December 1, 2025, when the Ministry met with Indigo on FDTL, as it required some clarification, the company didn't flag the issue that caused the crisis.
Govt to introduce new aviation policy on May 15.
IndiGo cancelled over 1,000 flights on Friday and said operations are expected to normalise in the next 10 days, as the country's largest airline received flight duty norms relaxation from watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which will probe the disruptions that have impacted thousands of passengers for four straight days.
Domestic carrier IndiGo has cancelled over 180 flights from three major airports on Thursday, as the Gurugram-based airline struggles to secure the required crew to operate its flights in the wake of new flight-duty and rest-period norms for pilots.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also asked how could other airlines take advantage of the crisis situation and charge hefty sums for tickets from the passengers.
DGCA provided temporary relief to IndiGo, which is partially owned by Rahul Bhatia, by rolling back the night duty definition to 12 am-5 am from 12 am-6 am earlier, and allowing its pilots to do six night-landings from two earlier, besides other relaxations.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation-appointed panel investigating the flight disruptions at IndiGo is likely to summon the airline's CEO Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras on Wednesday as part of the ongoing probe, according to a source on Monday.
'The CCI will first need to take a prima facie view on whether IndiGo's role warrants a detailed investigation.'
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi assures that the Indian government is prepared to bring back Indians stranded in the Gulf region due to the Iran-Israel conflict and disruptions in Dubai, emphasizing citizen safety as the top priority.
The Delhi High Court refused to entertain a PIL seeking compensation for passengers affected by IndiGo flight cancellations, citing an ongoing related case.
Dense fog disrupted operations at Delhi airport, leading to cancellations and delays of hundreds of flights. Airlines are offering refunds and rescheduling options.
Cooking oil is often discarded after being used for frying at home or in restaurants. However, a refinery of IndianOil has now won a certification to use the same oil to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the company chairman Arvinder Singh Sahney said.
Pilots' body the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has alleged that IndiGo, despite getting a two-year preparatory window before the full implementation of new flight duty and rest period norms for cockpit crew, "inexplicably" adopted a "hiring freeze."
As many as 17 cancer drugs, along with medicines and food for special medical needs for seven rare diseases, components for microwave ovens are some of the items that are set to become cheaper with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing cuts in customs duty in the Union Budget 2026-27.
'IndiGo will receive a sharp rap on the knuckles -- a punishment, a huge penalty. 'I look towards them creating a compensation fund.' 'I would like to think they would do that for all the passengers who are affected on every single day since cancellations began.'
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