An Indigo flight from Pune to Bengaluru was delayed by five hours after the pilot refused to take off, citing the end of his duty hours. The incident, which occurred on September 24, recently gained attention when a video showing frustrated passengers went viral on social media.
According to reports, the pilot would have exceeded his permissible working hours if he had operated the flight.
FlightRadar24 data revealed that the flight, originally scheduled to depart at 12:45 am, finally took off at 5:44 am, landing in Bengaluru around 6:50 am. In response to the viral footage, aviation expert Sanjay Lazar clarified that pilots are required to adhere to duty time regulations for the safety of passengers, and violating these limits could result in penalties from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Lazar emphasized that the pilot’s actions were in the interest of safety and not the cause of the delay.
While safety protocols were followed, passengers expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of communication from the airline. The viral video shows passengers demanding an explanation as the pilot closed the cockpit door. Some passengers also claimed they were not offered refreshments or compensation during the delay.
Watch the video here:
Indigo flight was delayed for 5 hrs after Pilot refuses to take off due to work hrs ending.
Frustration pf Passengers can clearly be seen. But Why blame only the Pilot ??
Blame the company not the crew. Indigo has become a joke😤 pic.twitter.com/0ohOOTi3RG
— Avishek Goyal (@AG_knocks) October 2, 2024
Indigo later confirmed the delay, attributing it to “operational reasons related to flight duty time limitations.” The airline apologized for the inconvenience and assured that customers were kept informed throughout the delay.
