As IndiGo’s flight operations remained disrupted for the seventh day, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu told Parliament on Monday that the crisis was caused by “ an operational issue ” created by the airline.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said that IndiGo had failed to maintain its pilot roster despite having enough time to prepare for the new Flight Duty Time Limitation rules that took effect on November 1.

He added that the crisis occurred due to lapses in the airline’s “crew rostering and internal planning systems”.

Air travel has been severely hit since December 2, when a shortage of pilots and crew forced IndiGo to cancel and delay hundreds of flights. The disruption also led to fares on several routes rising to unprecedented levels.

The d

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