Presidential poll: Pranab to visit Kolkata today

Kolkata, June 22: With Mamata Banerjee still keeping her cards close to her chest when other parties have announced their stand on the presidential poll, Congress president Sonia Gandhi doesn't want to lose an important ally even if it means "stooping" before her for the moment.

Sonia, instead, is looking beyond the presidential poll to keep the UPA family united when all other blocks, including the NDA and the Left, are divided on the issue.

The UPA's presidential candidate, Pranab Mukherjee, has been entrusted with the job of breaking the ice with Mamata. How he does it has been left to the veteran troubleshooter.

Mukherjee, who will reach Kolkata on Friday night, is scheduled to leave for his ancestral home at Miriti village in Birbhum on Saturday morning. All eyes will be on whether he pays the Trinamool chief a visit. Congress leaders in Delhi are not sure if their presidential candidate will meet Mamata now or keep it for the formal campaign tour after filing his nomination on June 30. But that may be too late to pacify Mamata, feel some Congress leaders.

According to Congress insiders, Mukherjee is trying to send feelers to Mamata through politicians and government officials, some of whom are already in touch her. The Congress wants to initiate a dialogue with her at the earliest because BJP's Sushma Swaraj has already indicated that her party is in talks with the Bengal chief minister to get Trinamool on board.

There was speculation in political circles that BJP's presidential nominee P A Sangma may visit Kolkata on the same day as Mukherjee. Trinamool leaders claimed no such knowledge. James Sangma, the former Lok Sabha Speaker's son, denied that his father had any plans to visit Kolkata on Friday.

A Trinamool veteran pointed out that it would be difficult for Mamata to support Sangma because the former Speaker was with the Trinamool for a short time in 1995, but deserted it as he has dumped the NCP now.

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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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