<p>Bengaluru: As IndiGo disruptions drag into a second week, ground staff and pilots recount the distress they have faced.</p>.<p>Amid the chaos at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), ground staff were the worst affected.</p>.<p>Speaking to DH, employees recalled being victims of verbal abuse and stress-related trauma during the crisis.</p>.<p>"We repeatedly told people to remain calm, as they continued to pounce on us. Passengers were understandably angry, but there was little we could do to help them. It was exhausting, and I was in tears at the end of my shift. It has made me rethink my career," an employee said.</p>.IndiGo crisis | Airline says operations optimised even as govt curtails its winter schedule by 10%.<p>Angry passengers targeted everyone, from IndiGo staff to airport security, and even ground staff of other airlines. The foul treatment was not limited to ground staff, but also extended to cabin crew.</p>.<p>The IndiGo crew remain upset at not receiving enough support from the management, as they were left to handle irate passengers alone.</p>.<p>"We had to face angry fliers without the higher management stepping in. While a few sensible passengers helped calm the situation, most took their anger out on us," another staff member said.</p>.<p><span class="bold">'No shortage of pilots'</span></p>.<p>Claims of a pilot shortage at IndiGo are false, say Bengaluru-based pilots.</p>.IndiGo crisis | Airline says operations optimised even as govt curtails its winter schedule by 10%.<p>They described being ready for duty last week, with aircraft prepared for dispatch, but not receiving clearance from the management.</p>.<p>"Several members from IndiGo have clarified that it was not a crew shortage that led to the disruptions. Pilots were ready for duty. There were errors in the rostering system, which eventually led to the disruptions. IndiGo had enough time to prepare for the new norms. The DGCA must strictly look into how and why this happened," said Captain Anil Rao, General Secretary of the Airline Pilots' Association of India.</p>.<p>He added that dispensations provided by the DGCA to various operators were dangerous, as they could potentially put the lives of thousands of passengers at risk.</p>.<p>IndiGo did not respond to DH's queries about safeguards put in place to protect employees.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: As IndiGo disruptions drag into a second week, ground staff and pilots recount the distress they have faced.</p>.<p>Amid the chaos at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), ground staff were the worst affected.</p>.<p>Speaking to DH, employees recalled being victims of verbal abuse and stress-related trauma during the crisis.</p>.<p>"We repeatedly told people to remain calm, as they continued to pounce on us. Passengers were understandably angry, but there was little we could do to help them. It was exhausting, and I was in tears at the end of my shift. It has made me rethink my career," an employee said.</p>.IndiGo crisis | Airline says operations optimised even as govt curtails its winter schedule by 10%.<p>Angry passengers targeted everyone, from IndiGo staff to airport security, and even ground staff of other airlines. The foul treatment was not limited to ground staff, but also extended to cabin crew.</p>.<p>The IndiGo crew remain upset at not receiving enough support from the management, as they were left to handle irate passengers alone.</p>.<p>"We had to face angry fliers without the higher management stepping in. While a few sensible passengers helped calm the situation, most took their anger out on us," another staff member said.</p>.<p><span class="bold">'No shortage of pilots'</span></p>.<p>Claims of a pilot shortage at IndiGo are false, say Bengaluru-based pilots.</p>.IndiGo crisis | Airline says operations optimised even as govt curtails its winter schedule by 10%.<p>They described being ready for duty last week, with aircraft prepared for dispatch, but not receiving clearance from the management.</p>.<p>"Several members from IndiGo have clarified that it was not a crew shortage that led to the disruptions. Pilots were ready for duty. There were errors in the rostering system, which eventually led to the disruptions. IndiGo had enough time to prepare for the new norms. The DGCA must strictly look into how and why this happened," said Captain Anil Rao, General Secretary of the Airline Pilots' Association of India.</p>.<p>He added that dispensations provided by the DGCA to various operators were dangerous, as they could potentially put the lives of thousands of passengers at risk.</p>.<p>IndiGo did not respond to DH's queries about safeguards put in place to protect employees.</p>