IndiGo Flight from Pune to Bengaluru Delayed Five Hours After Pilot Cites ‘Expired Duty Hours’

Pune/Bengaluru, 1st October 2024: Passengers on an IndiGo flight from Pune to Bengaluru faced a five-hour delay after the pilot refused to operate the flight, citing that his duty hours had expired. The flight, 6E 361, was originally scheduled to depart at 12:45 AM but eventually took off at 5:44 AM, arriving in Bengaluru at 6:49 AM.

The incident occurred on 24th September but gained widespread attention after a video went viral on social media, showing passengers expressing frustration towards the pilot and the IndiGo crew.

According to sources, the pilot explained that flying the route would exceed his legally mandated working hours. In the video, he can be seen closing the cockpit door after passengers demanded an explanation.

The delay sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some users sympathizing with the passengers and others defending the pilot, urging IndiGo’s management to address the situation.

Several passengers shared their grievances on X. One passenger, Lokesh MK, tweeted, “@MoCA_GoI IndiGo flight delayed by 3 hours at Pune Airport, flight number 6E 361 from Pune to Bengaluru, and no response. Kindly assist with this urgently.”

Another passenger, Ayush Kumar, posted a video of the passengers’ outrage and commented, “IndiGo flight 6E from Pune to Bengaluru delayed for 5 hours after the pilot refused to take off due to his duty hours expiring. Passengers were stranded without refreshments or compensation. This shows a complete lack of customer service. How can this be allowed? @IndiGo6E @DGCAIndia.”

In response, IndiGo issued a statement on 30th September, acknowledging the delay: “Flight 6E 361, scheduled to operate from Pune to Bengaluru on 24th September 2024, was delayed due to operational reasons concerning flight duty time limits. Customers were kept updated about the delay, and our team was present throughout to assist them. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”