No pressure from Italy, won’t interfere in marines trial: Krishna

May 22, 2012

New Delhi, May 22: Notwithstanding Italy’s unhappiness over the “unacceptable nature of the judicial developments” involving two of its marines, India today made it clear that it will not “interfere” in the trial of two Italians facing murder charges in Kerala.

“The judicial process is on and the Government of India is never known to interfere in that process,” External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said. His reply came in response to a question about framing of murder charges and denial of bail to two Italian marines – Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone – which has escalated the diplomatic row between Rome and New Delhi.

Krishna’s remarks came nearly a week after Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti called up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to express concern over detention of two of his country’s sailors in Kerala for allegedly killing two fishermen.

The External Affairs Minister also denied there was any pressure from Italy on the issue. “Absolutely not”, he said.

The marines issue has sparked a series of reaction resulting in the recalling of the Italian Ambassador to India for consultations and summoning of Indian Ambassador Debabrata Saha by the Foreign Ministry in Rome.

The Italian government “firmly” impressed upon “the unacceptable nature of the judicial developments regarding the Italian servicemen, Latorre and Girone, especially as regards the charges against them….” to Saha, a statement by their foreign ministry in Rome said.

The marines were arrested on 19 February, four days after they allegedly opened fire while travelling on ship Enrica Lexie and killed two fishermen off the coast of Kerala, apparently suspecting them to be pirates.

On a separate query on Indians stranded in Angola, Krishna said, “Today I should be talking to the Foreign Minister (of Angola)…meanwhile, we have conveyed through our embassy that if any of them would like to get back to India, our embassy will make all possible arrangements for their return.”

Asked about a fresh advisory on traders in China, he said, “When I was in China and when the Chinese Foreign Minister came to Delhi, we had discussed about the plight of the traders and the talks are continuing.”

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IndiGo meltdown: 200 flights cancelled; Bengaluru hit hard with 42 cancellations

News Network

December 3,2025

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is battling one of its worst operational disruptions in recent years, with hundreds of delays and cancellations throwing domestic travel into chaos.

Government data on Tuesday showed its on-time performance plunging to 35%, an unusual dip for a carrier long associated with punctuality.

By Wednesday afternoon, airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad had collectively reported close to 200 cancellations, stranding travellers across the country.

Crew Shortage After New Duty Norms

A major trigger behind the meltdown is a severe crew shortage, especially among pilots, following the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms last month.

The rules mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters — a shift IndiGo has struggled to incorporate across its vast network.

Sources said several flights were grounded due to lack of cabin crew, while some delays stretched upwards of eight hours.

With IndiGo controlling over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, the ripple effect has impacted airports nationwide.

IndiGo Issues Apology, Lists “Compounding Factors”

In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the large-scale disruption:

“We sincerely apologise to customers. A series of unforeseen operational challenges — technology glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system congestion and updated FDTL norms — created a compounding impact that could not have been anticipated.”

To stabilise operations, the airline has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours, aiming to restore punctuality. Affected passengers are being offered refunds or alternate travel arrangements, IndiGo said.

What the FDTL Rules Require

The FDTL norms, designed to reduce pilot fatigue, cap duty and flying hours as follows:
•   Maximum 8 hours of flying per day
•   35 hours per week
•   125 hours per month
•   1,000 hours per year

Crew must also receive rest equalling twice the flight duration, with a minimum 10-hour rest period in any 24-hour window.

The DGCA introduced these limits to enhance flight safety.

Hyderabad: 33 Flights Cancelled, Long Queues Reported

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw heavy early-morning crowds as 33 IndiGo flights (arrivals and departures) were cancelled.

The airport clarified on X that operations were normal, advising passengers to contact IndiGo directly for latest flight status.

Cancellations included flights to and from Visakhapatnam, Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Madurai, Hubli, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

Bengaluru: 42 Flights Disrupted

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport recorded 42 cancellations — 22 arrivals and 20 departures — affecting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Passengers Vent on Social Media

Irate travellers took to X to share their experiences. One passenger stranded in Hyderabad wrote: “I have been here since 3 a.m. and missed an important meeting.”

Another said: “My flight was pushed from 1:55 PM to 2:55 PM and now 4:35 PM. I was informed only three minutes before entering the airport.”

Delhi Airport Hit by Tech Glitch

At Delhi Airport, the disruption deepened due to a slowdown in the Amadeus system — used for reservations, check-ins and departure control.

The technical issue led to longer queues and sluggish processing, adding to delays already worsened by staff shortages.

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