New Delhi:

Days after a passenger jet and military helicopter collided in Washington DC, killing all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, a new report has revealed that air traffic facilities in the US are reeling under severe staff shortages.

Over 90 per cent of the United States’ 313 air traffic control facilities are operating below the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) recommended staffing levels, The New York Times has reported.

As of January, 285 facilities, including traffic control towers and other locations, were below staffing thresholds set by the FAA and the controllers’ union. Staffing at 73 of these facilities is so low that at least a quarter of the workforce is absent.

According to a CBS News report, the matter came under scrutiny after an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk Army chopper collided near Reagan National Airport. At the time of the incident, only one air traffic control worker was managing the helicopters and some planes from the Reagan National Airport tower, a task that usually requires two individuals.

The US air travel system remains one of the safest in the world, but the ongoing staff shortages and underinvestment in safety measures have resulted in an alarming number of close calls.

The shortfall is particularly significant in the New York area, where two critical facilities on Long Island operate with approximately 40% of the posts unfilled. These facilities manage air traffic for some of the busiest airports in the US which include Newark, JFK and LaGuardia, which handled 1.2 million flights last year, as per the data from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration projections, efforts to hire and train more controllers have already begun but are expected to fall short of staffing demands. Despite extensive training, around three-quarters of facilities will stay below recommended staffing levels.

Improving the ranks will take time as training a new air traffic controller can take over four years at certain facilities and nearly 16 months at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, The New York Times further mentioned.

About 2 per cent of the towers fulfilled the Collaborative Resource Working Group’s 2024 staffing targets for fully trained air traffic controllers, according to CBS News. According to the analysis of 2023 staffing data for nearly 200 airport towers, around 8 per cent met the objective, even after accounting for hundreds of air traffic controllers still in training.

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha appealed to the government stop the arbitrary pricing of air fares, a day after an uproar over flights to Prayagraj costing Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000.

Mr Chadha accused airlines of taking advantage of Mahakumbh devotees by charging exorbitant flight fares to Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh festival is underway. While calling the service of devotees “the biggest religion”, the leader said in a video on social media called for their fair treatment. He urged the government to intervene and cap flight prices, making travel affordable for devotees.

“Mahakumbh is the largest spiritual and faith event for Sanatan Dharma. After 144 years, this grand Mahakumbh is being celebrated in Prayagraj, attracting millions of devotees from around the world who wish to take a holy dip and engage in ‘sadhana’ and ‘tapasya.’ However, it is disheartening to see some airlines exploiting this occasion by significantly hiking flight fares. While the usual flight ticket to Prayagraj costs around Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000, devotees are now facing charges of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. This profiteering has left many devotees disheartened,” he stated.

The prices of Air-Tickets to Prayagraj have soared to unusually high levels compared to ordinary days. On behalf of all the devotees who wish to undertake the pilgrimage to the Maha Kumbh, I urge the Union Government to intervene and stop airlines from charging exorbitant fees,… pic.twitter.com/x9A9zH8CcX

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) January 28, 2025

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to increase capacity and rationalise fares for flights to Prayagraj during the ongoing Mahakumbh on Monday.

To address the issue, the DGCA met with airlines on January 23, urging them to add more flights and rationalise fares. As a result, 81 additional flights have been approved for January, bringing the total number of flights to Prayagraj to 132 from across India.

“In view of likely surge in demand, DGCA met airlines on January 23 and urged them to increase further capacity by adding flights and rationalising fares,” DGCA said.

On January 24, SpiceJet announced the addition of special flights to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh by introducing new direct flights from Guwahati, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

On January 25, Akasa Air, ramped up its connectivity to Prayagraj with special flights from Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru via Delhi, in addition to its daily direct services from Mumbai.

Mr Chadha’s appeals comes a day after the civil aviation ministry on Monday said steps are being taken to rationalise airfares for flights to Prayagraj and the number of flights has been increased to cater to the rising traffic demand in view of the Maha Kumbh.

Currently, there are 132 flights operating with approximately 80,000 monthly seats to Prayagraj from various Indian cities. Prayagraj is connected directly with 17 cities as against eight cities in December 2024. Further, the ministry said the addition of these flights is expected to ease the pressure on airfares and improve overall accessibility for devotees and tourists.

Akasa Air will start flights on January 28 and 29 to Prayagraj from Ahmedabad. In February, the airline plans to operate 9 flights from Ahmedabad and 12 flights from Bengaluru to Prayagraj, adding around 4,000 seats. SpiceJet will commence launch flights to Prayagraj from Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad. This will add about 43,000 seats in February, as per the release.

Since the beginning of Maha Kumbh on January 13, the Prayagraj airport witnessed 30,172 passengers and operated 226 flights in just one week, surpassing 5,000 passengers in a single day for the first time. The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26.

Chadha had earlier raised the issue of overpriced food at airports, prompting the Centre to open affordable UDAN Yatri Cafes.

India’s aviation industry is going through a nightmare of flight disruptions after a series of bomb threats that turned out to be fake. The government has launched crisis management efforts after more than 130 hoax calls in nine days. On October 20, airlines in India received as many as 24 bomb threats.

The hoax callers have targeted Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, SpiceJet, Star Air, Alliance Air and even international flights. Some threats were sent via social media and emails, others were found written in lavatories. Several domestic and international flights were diverted or were forced to make emergency landings, which caused panic among flyers. Checks by bomb squads, causing flight disruptions, have also hit airlines financially.

The hoax bomb calls have been attributed to factors ranging from malicious intent and attention-seeking to mental health issues, disruption of business operations or pranking. Airlines are not new to such bomb hoaxes, but the sheer frequency of the calls this time is astonishing and debilitating.

Flying hassles

A Vistara flight from Frankfurt with 147 passengers and crew had to make an emergency landing in Mumbai and go through security checks in an isolation bay after a bomb scare.

Similarly, an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York had to be diverted to Delhi, evacuated and combed for any bomb. The plane was required to dump nearly 100 tonnes of jet fuel to ensure a safe landing, which cost the airline around Rs 10 million – a huge waste. It was reported that the total cost of the diversion, including accommodation for passengers, grounding of the aircraft and crew replacements, would likely exceed Rs 30 million.

An emergency landing following a bomb threat is also an ordeal for passengers. “Evacuating passengers at the earliest is not easy. It could result in minor injuries if extra precaution is not exercised. The entire baggage is offloaded and screened. It takes a lot of time,” says Atanu Guru, strategy and aviation expert.

“The harassed passengers wait without a clue of what turn their travel plan might take. Besides being time consuming, the process is expensive and eats into the bottom line of the airline. In some cases, it might affect the sustainability of the airline,” he adds.

Authorities’ response

Alarmed by the fake bomb threats, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) held a meeting with CEOs and representatives of airlines in Delhi on October 19. The civil aviation ministry is planning strict rules to prevent such incidents. For one, those behind hoax calls can be put on the no-fly list.

“There is some information about who is behind the hoax threats and the BCAS is looking at ways and mechanism to fix it,” informed an official of the aviation security body on the condition of anonymity.

The bomb threats were also discussed in a meeting of the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which is headed by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha. “It’s a matter of concern for all, especially the passengers and the airlines. The civil aviation ministry and the BCAS are acting on it,” Mr Jha said.

The investigation report and the action taken will be submitted to the standing committee.

With easy access to social media and VPN (virtual private network) services, it has become fairly easy for troublemakers to send out anonymous bomb threats, while making it difficult for the security agencies to track them.

The government is also looking at incorporating anti-hoax provisions that are in operation in other countries. Guidelines from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) are also being studied. They are also looking at the cybersecurity aspect of the threat.

About any specific pattern in the bomb threats, Mr Guru says, “No matter where the threats are emanating from, they are targeted at Indian carriers. They are certainly not one-off incidents and appear to be one of the mechanisms of a larger sinister design by forces inimical to India’s national interests. These are attempts at maligning and defaming Indian brands, thereby trying to derail the India growth story.”

At the moment, tracking down hoaxers presents a challenge as there are no legal provisions dealing only with hoax bomb threats; they are treated according to the country’s criminal laws. There are SOP (standard operating procedures) and security protocols, but only for the aftermath of such threats. There is not much in existing rules to prevent or deter hoax calls to aircraft.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the authorities had no choice but to take every threat seriously, as it is a question of lives.

“Enhancing vigil, expanding intelligence networks and seeking international cooperation would certainly help mitigate the challenge. Sources of threat could be from any corner of the world. Identifying, tracking and apprehending the offenders would largely depend on the degree of cooperation that other countries are willing to extend to India,” says Mr Guru.

More than 150 million passengers flew domestically in India last year, according to the civil aviation ministry. The flight chaos caused by hoax callers is not only a financial strain but also threatens to have an adverse impact on the tourism industry.
 

Imagine a scene from Neuromancer: hackers breaking in, causing chaos with every keystroke. Now, flash back to this Friday. That sci-fi scenario? It’s suddenly not so fictional. A botched software update has just thrown real life into disarray. Planes grounded, emergency lines jammed, and check-in counters swamped with long, snaking lines of frustrated travellers.

The Microsoft outage has disrupted India’s aviation sector. As major airlines like Vistara, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air scramble with systems down, passengers face the brunt-endless lines, delayed flights, and a ticking clock. Even as airports like Delhi and Bengaluru report disruptions in up to 90% of flights, the response has been reactive, not proactive.

Also Read | The ‘Fake’ CrowdStrike Worker Who Crippled Windows Users Worldwide

This isn’t a plot twist from Mr. Robot, where vigilantes manipulate the digital world for justice or chaos. This is our reality-the infrastructure teetering on the edge because of a glitch. As we stand in overcrowded terminals or seek urgent help to no avail, the dystopian futures of cyberpunk are already knocking on our door.

Who Pays When Software Fails Us?

Think about the price tag of such an outage. Airlines cancel thousands of flights, hospitals delay life-saving procedures, and emergency responders hit a wall. The immediate cost is staggering, sure. But what about the long game? Lost trust, furious customers, and shaken investor confidence can balloon these costs to even more astronomical levels. How many millions – or billions – are we talking about here?

Why aren’t Microsoft or CrowdStrike held to the same stringent standards as those in more traditional sectors? A single faulty brake pad can trigger nationwide recalls in the automotive world. So why does the tech industry get a free pass when their mistakes can shut down our hospitals, ground our planes, and leave us stranded at check-in counters? It’s ridiculous.

Also Read | Airports Clearing Backlog After Global IT Chaos, Centre Shares An Update

When the digital infrastructure crumbles, the fallout is accepted as part of the modern condition. And where’s the backup plan? Our entire digital life hangs by the thread of a few lines of code with no strong fail-safe in sight. Why isn’t there a robust Plan B when Plan A fails so spectacularly? Shouldn’t there be mandatory, iron-clad redundancies for technologies that our lives depend on?

Another tech glitch, and who’s caught in the crossfire? The users, because we’re over-reliant on platforms like Microsoft. They blame CrowdStrike, but that’s not the point. Apple and Linux users dodged the bullet-why aren’t we spreading our risks? It’s high time we break up with single-system dependency.

We need more than apologies when tech systems fail disastrously. It’s time for stringent regulations to hold tech giants like Microsoft and their partners accountable, just as any other sector crucial to public safety and welfare would be.

Our reliance on these platforms is too critical to allow the ‘single-system dependency’ to continue unchecked. Let’s push for diversity in our tech solutions to safeguard our digital – and physical – lives. 

(Pankaj Mishra has been a journalist for over two decades and is the co-founder of FactorDaily.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Representational image of an Air India express aircraft.
| Photo Credit: G. Ramakrishna

Air India Express has cancelled “scores of flights” due to a shortage of cabin crew members as a section of them are reporting sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the Tata Group-owned airline, according to sources.

Discontent has been brewing among a section of the cabin crew at the low-cost carrier for some time now, especially after the start of the process of merger of AIX Connect, formerly AirAsia India, with itself.

Also read | Air India Express cancels several flights to Middle East from Kochi; travellers protest

The sources on Wednesday said several cabin crew members started reporting sick since Monday evening and as there are not enough cabin crew members, “scores of flights” have been cancelled at various airports, including Kochi, Kozhikode and Bengaluru.

Late last month, a union representing a section of the Air India Express cabin crew alleged that the airline is being mismanaged and there is a lack of equality in the treatment of the staff.

Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), a registered union, which claims to represent around 300 cabin crew members, mostly seniors, had also alleged that mismanagement of the affairs has affected the morale of the employees.

Many passengers took to social media on Wednesday complaining about the sudden cancellation of flights.

In response to a passenger’s post on X about flight cancellation, Air India Express apologised and said the flight was cancelled “due to operational reasons”.

“As part of our service recovery process, you can either opt to reschedule the flight within the next 7 days or request a full refund through our chat bot Tia…,” the airline said in a post on X.

The development at Air India Express comes a month after Tata Group full-service carrier Vistara witnessed pilot woes, forcing it to temporarily cut down capacity by 10 per cent or 25-30 flights daily.

As part of consolidating its airline business, Tata Group is merging Air India Express and AIX Connect, as well as Vistara with Air India.

Airlines will now have to provide automatic refunds to travelers if flights are canceled or significantly altered under new US Department of Transportation rules, a significant change for consumers that could drive up costs across the industry.

The final regulations released Wednesday outline the circumstances where passengers are entitled to refunds for all travel to, from and within the US. The goal is to make it easier for people to get money back and to make refund policies more consistent from one airline to the next. 

According to the department, complaints related to airlines and ticket agents rejecting or delaying refunds made up 87% of all air-travel service complaints at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them – without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

Under the new rule, passengers will be entitled to refunds if there is a “significant change” to their flights. These include:

• Departure or arrival time that moves by more than three hours domestically or six hours for international flights
• Being downgraded to a lower class than originally purchased, as from first class to economy
• Change of departure or arrival airport
• Increase in number of connections
• Changes to connecting airports or planes flown if they are less accommodating for people with disabilities

Travelers will also get refunds for checked bag fees if the bag is lost and not delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight’s gate arrival. International flights will have from 15 to 30 hours to return a lost bag, depending on their length. 

Anyone who pays for a service, such as in-flight Wi-Fi or entertainment, and doesn’t receive it will also get their money back.

In addition, DOT made changes to make it easier for the passengers to receive the money they’re owed by requiring prompt automatic refunds in cash or through the original form of payment. Buttigieg said during a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday that the bulk of the new requirements will go into effect in about six months.

The refund changes are poised to add significant costs across the airline industry, which could have a disproportionate impact on low-cost carriers, according to Seaport Research analyst Daniel McKenzie. “To the extent low cost carriers have to add costs to comply, reduce growth and/or downsize, they become less competitive,” McKenzie said in a note.

The Airlines for America trade group said in a statement that its member carriers already abide by and often exceed regulation on consumer protection. 

“US airlines are providing more options and better services while ticket prices, including ancillary revenues, are at historic lows,” the group said in a release.

Also on Wednesday, the department released a final rule requiring airlines to clearly communicate their extra fees upfront for checked luggage, carry-on bags or for canceling or changing reservations. According to DOT, airlines saw a 30% increase in revenue from baggage fees between 2018 and 2022. 

“Airlines should compete with one another to secure passengers’ business – not to see who can charge the most in surprise fees,” Buttigieg said in a separate statement, adding that the rule will save travelers more than half a billion dollars a year.  

Buttigieg told reporters at the news conference that more rules are on the way, including to expand rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and to allow parents to sit with their children on flights without being charged a fee. 

DOT will also continue to pursue more aggressive enforcement when airlines violate rules, he said, pointing to the department’s $140 million record fine against Southwest Airlines Co. for a meltdown in its operations that left more than 2 million passengers stranded in December 2022. 

“The level of toughness reflected in the Southwest enforcement is not an exception, but the new standard,” Buttigieg said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)