Pune-Bengaluru IndiGo Flight Delayed By 5 Hours After Pilot Refused to Fly. Here’s Why

An IndiGo flight from Pune to Bengaluru faced a five-hour delay after the pilot declined to operate the aeroplane, reportedly citing that his duty hours had ended. The flight, which was scheduled to take off at 12:45 am from Pune, finally departed at 5:44 am and landed in Bengaluru at 6:49 am.

X (formerly known as Twitter) user Avishek Goyal shared the video from inside the flight with the caption, “Indigo flight was delayed for 5 hrs after Pilot refuses to take off due to working hours ending.”

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He added, “Frustration of passengers can clearly be seen. But why blame only the pilot?”

“Blame the company, not the crew. IndiGo has become a joke,” he concluded.

The video opens to show a crew member asking her colleague to call the pilot. As the video goes on, the camera pans to show frustrated passengers.

“I think you should grow up. Sir, can you come out,” a frustrated passenger can be heard saying as the pilot enters the cockpit and shuts the door.

Another says, “This is how they close the door because they have no answers.” One person is also heard suggesting they go live on social media to broadcast the situation they’re stuck in.

Watch the video here:

Another X user claimed that the stranded passengers neither received any “refreshments” nor “compensation”, calling it an “absolute disregard for customer service”. Ayush Kumar further questioned the airline: “How can this be allowed?”

Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight delay: Aviation expert says this

In response to passengers and social media users bashing the IndiGo pilot left and right for refusing to take off, Sanjay Lazar, an aviation veteran, explained that the working hours for both pilots and crew are regulated globally to ensure passenger safety.

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“It’s not like a factory where workers can clock in & out when needed. The pilots can’t exceed their Duty limits as it invites penalties from the DGCA including implications for their license. Incidentally, unauthorised extensions of FDTL will also invalidate your flight insurance as an airline or as a flying passenger,” explained Lazar.

He stressed, “So, in the interests of flight safety, the pilot knows what he is doing, please let him be. He didn’t cause the delay!”

IndiGo issues statement

While IndiGo acknowledged the flight day, it cited “operational reasons related to flight duty time limitations” for the five-hour delay. The Haryana-based low-cost airline further apologised to the passengers for the inconvenience.

“Flight 6E 361 scheduled to operate from Pune to Bengaluru on September 24, 2024, was delayed due to operational reasons related to flight duty time limitations. Customers were kept informed about the delay and our team was available throughout the duration to assist customers. We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” IndiGo said in a statement.