India, Dec. 20 -- Hundreds of flights had been cancelled daily, leaving thousands stranded, scrambling for re-bookings, and facing disrupted holidays, business commitments, and even medical emergencies. The fallout extends beyond flights: missed hotel bookings, lost hours, and compromised plans paint a grim picture of systemic failure.

The airline's official statement that the chaos stemmed from "misjudgement and planning gaps" is far from sufficient. The real culprit lies in a combination ofIndiGo's strategic miscalculations and the regulator's hesitant response.TheFlight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL)rules, phased in fromJuly and fully enforced from November 1, 2025,were designed to reduce pilot fatigue - a critical operational risk - by...