Air India Express cites parking bay crunch at Pune Airport after on-time flight couldn't park

New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Air India Express on Thursday said that severe parking bay congestion at Pune Airport disrupted multiple flight schedules, after one of its early-morning services landed on time but could not be allotted a bay.
According to the airline, its Delhi-Pune flight touched down as scheduled at 06:55 am, but the aircraft was unable to park because all 10 bays at Pune Airport were occupied.
"Our morning Delhi-Pune flight landed on schedule at 0655 hrs. However, no parking bay was available at Pune Airport at the time of arrival. The airport has a total of 10 bays, of which all are currently occupied by aircraft of another airline on ground due to technical reasons or experiencing delays," an Air India Express spokesperson said.
The airline added that the jammed bay situation triggered a cascade effect, delaying its onward Pune-Indore flight.
"This congestion resulted in a delay to our Pune-Indore flight. We regret the inconvenience to our guests and are working with the airport operator and ATC to mitigate the situation," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport continued to face heavy disruption on Thursday, with a total of 34 departures and 37 arrivals of IndiGo Airlines cancelled as of 4 PM, as confirmed by Delhi Airport.
Moreover, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) issued a passenger advisory citing widespread operational constraints affecting several domestic airlines nationwide. In its statement, CIAL said, "Certain domestic airlines are currently experiencing operational constraints, affecting services nationwide. CIAL is in continuous coordination with airline operations teams to support passengers and ensure the smooth functioning of airport services. Passengers are advised to verify the latest flight information with their respective airline." The advisory was issued at 10:30 AM on December 4, 2025, by CIAL Corporate Communications.
Furthermore, in Chennai, multiple IndiGo flights were delayed or cancelled, causing inconvenience to passengers.
In addition, the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) reiterated concerns over the ongoing nationwide disruptions, calling for tighter regulatory oversight.
In a statement, ALPA India said, "The situation concerning the recent flight cancellations across India, allegedly attributed to pilot shortage due to new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms, raises significant questions about the airline's management, regulatory oversight by the DGCA, and market fairness."
Further highlighting issues of planning and compliance, the pilots' body added, "The core question is whether airlines' current pilot shortage is due to a failure in planning or a calculated strategy. It is more likely a combination of factors... This situation points to a failure of proactive resource planning by dominant airlines, potentially exacerbated by an effort to pressurise the regulator to dilute the promulgated FDTL norms for commercial gain." (ANI)