Monday, July 8, 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes
More passengers than ever before are impacted by delayed flights, as shown by recent data. The situation worsened when the roof at Delhi airport collapsed, leading to the redistribution of flights from Terminal 1 to the other two terminals. This shift severely affected the On-Time Performance (OTP) of flights. Over the past several months, despite allegations and counter-allegations concerning OTP in Indian skies, the performance has been silently deteriorating, leaving passengers at the receiving end with no immediate solution in sight. Frequent fliers now often report delays, with IndiGo, once a paragon of OTP, witnessing a significant decline in its performance. In May, IndiGo recorded its seventh consecutive month of diminished OTP rankings. For instance, in May 2024, IndiGo achieved an OTP of 72.8% at four metro airports, while Air India managed 68.4%. Comparatively, IndiGo had an OTP of 81% in February 2020 and 90.3% in May of the previous year. This decline means 27.2% of IndiGo’s departures from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad were delayed in May 2024, compared to only 9.7% delays in May 2023.
Growing Passenger Numbers and Flight Delays
The number of passengers affected by these delays has increased significantly. In May 2024, IndiGo, with an average of 643 daily domestic departures from the four metro airports, had 124,930 seats available daily, compared to 103,188 in February 2019. This increase in flights and seats, coupled with delays, means that over 30,000 passengers are impacted daily by IndiGo alone.
OTP Data Measurement
India has over 100 operational airports, but the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) measures OTP data from only four private airports—Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad—before releasing it to the public. This approach overlooks flights that neither originate nor terminate at these airports, potentially skewing the data. A larger network of flights often means more connecting passengers, leading to further chaos when delays occur. The security apparatus also contributes to delays by not allowing ramp-to-ramp transfers for connecting passengers.
Prolonged Delays
In May 2024, 46,902 IndiGo passengers experienced delays of over two hours, down slightly from 51,865 the previous year. Air India, despite its smaller domestic operations, saw 50,605 domestic passengers impacted by similar delays. SpiceJet and Akasa Air had 26,184 and 3,715 passengers respectively, affected by delays of over two hours.
IndiGo’s Response and Future Challenges
IndiGo’s response to these issues appears insufficient. The airline, which once emphasized punctuality with a popular TV commercial in 2009, now struggles with groundings, high aircraft utilization, and infrastructure issues. As a result, IndiGo has failed to reclaim its top position in OTP rankings, now dominated by Akasa Air for six of the last seven months. Akasa Air benefits from lower utilization and a higher percentage of flights originating from the four key airports, making its OTP tracking more favorable.
IndiGo’s advertisement campaigns from 2009 and 2011, which focused on the importance of on-time performance, now seem outdated as the airline prepares for the induction of widebody aircraft in 2027. This expansion will bring more complex operations, requiring connections from across the country and internationally.
Global Implications
The decline in OTP and increased delays have broader implications for the global airline industry. As airlines expand routes, operational complexities grow, leading to potential delays and passenger dissatisfaction. Infrastructure constraints, security protocols, and high aircraft utilization further exacerbate the issue. Passengers worldwide may face similar challenges, with flight delays affecting travel plans and causing inconvenience.
