Airlines record lowest on-time figures in 11 months in Jan amid fog issues

DGCA and aviation security regulator Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on January 17 came down heavily on three airlines namely IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India

The on-time performance (OTP) of Indian carriers took a major dip in January as dense fog foiled their flight schedules. According to data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation reviewed by Business Standard, five out of six major Indian carriers — IndiGo, Air India, AIX Connect, Akasa Air, and Vistara — recorded their lowest OTPs in at least the last 11 months.

In response to queries, an Air India spokesperson said that during this winter, northern India experienced unusually prolonged periods of dense fog affecting traffic at the airline’s two largest hubs -- Delhi and Mumbai. 

“Delhi has been further aggravated by the closure of its main CAT III runway which permits aircraft landings during low visibility. To reduce disruption to our passenger schedule, we tactically delay flights in advance, but as a large hub and spoke operator, the impact is greater on our operation compared to point-to-point operators. We offer our guests, affected by fog disruptions, the opportunity to reschedule their flight free of charge,” the spokesperson added.

IndiGo, SpiceJet, AIX Connect, Akasa Air, and Vistara did not respond to queries sent by the newspaper. The Delhi airport has four runways: 09/27, 10/28, 11R/29L, and 11L/29R. Two of them—10/28 and 11R/29L—have the CAT III instrument landing system (ILS), which allows pilots to land planes when visibility is as low as 50 meters. Runway 10/28 was under refurbishment from September 11 last year, and flight operations on it resumed only on February 3.

Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and aviation security regulator Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on January 17 came down heavily on three airlines — IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Air India as well as Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) — for violating multiple rules amid fog-induced flight disruptions since the morning of January 14. The DGCA and BCAS imposed total fines of Rs 2.7 crore on the four major players.

The BCAS imposed fines of Rs 1.2 crore on IndiGo and Rs 60 lakh on Adani group-run MIAL for letting passengers of IndiGo’s Goa-Delhi flight roam around, sit, and eat on tarmac. The DGCA has also imposed fines of Rs 30 lakh on MIAL for violating multiple safety rules during the same incident.

Air India and SpiceJet have each been fined by the DGCA Rs 30 lakh for not rostering sufficient pilots, who are trained to land on low visibility (CAT-III landings), during the fog season.

The refurbishment of the aforementioned runway 10/28 was delayed due to disruptions in raw material supply, delays in the import of runway lights, software configuration issues, and blockages observed during the cable laying process. As fog disrupted flight schedules for several days in mid-January, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia asked the operator of the Delhi airport to complete the refurbishment immediately. Runway 10/28 finally became operational again on February 3.