Over 3000 flights cancelled due to bad weather in 2023: Govt data

New Delhi: More than 3000 flights were cancelled due to bad weather and over 1600 had to be cancelled due to technical reasons last year, latest parliament data showed.

In a written response to Rajya Sabha MPs Vaiko and M. Shanmugam on Monday, the minister of state for civil aviation Gen (Dr.) VK Singh (Retd) gave details about the number of flights cancelled last year that indicated weather-related problems as a major reason behind flight cancellations.

As per official data, a total of 3008 flights were cancelled due to bad weather and IndiGo was the most affected airline with 2185 flight cancellations, followed by Alliance Air (with 323 cancellations) and SpiceJet (186 flight cancellations).

As many as 89 Vistara flights were cancelled and AirAsia India had five flights cancelled due to weather issues; Akasa Air was the least affected with only two cancellations due to the same reason.

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Various airlines faced flight disruptions last December due to fog in north India. India’s largest airline, IndiGo’s services were hit due to heavy rains in Chennai while dense fog in north India caused severe inconvenience to passengers.

Data provided by the government also highlighted that 1624 flights were cancelled in 2023 due to technical reasons: IndiGo faced the maximum flight cancellations (931) followed by Alliance Air (324) and Air India (181) because of technical reasons.

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Replying to a question on measures taken by the government to avoid cancellations or flight delays due to technical glitches, Singh said the (airline) operators are required to take action to rectify malfunction in accordance with the manufacturer guidelines before the aircraft is released for operations.

“The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has established a well-defined mechanism of conducting surveillance, spot checks, and night surveillance of airlines, organisations, and personnel involved in the operation and maintenance of aircraft for ensuring safety standard and regulatory adherence. Any discrepancies or findings identified during these surveillance activities are promptly communicated to the respective airline to undertake corrective rectification action,” the minister said.

Singh pointed out that the DGCA, in cases where violations are detected, follows a rigorous enforcement process in accordance with established procedures.

“This may involve issuing warnings, implementing suspensions or cancellations of approvals, and even imposing financial penalties on the individuals or organisations involved. The enforcement actions taken by the DGCA are aimed at ensuring compliance and maintaining the highest standards of safety and regulatory adherence within the aviation industry,” he added.