IndiGo Crisis Hits a Tragic Peak as Father Pleads for Help

December 05, 2025: The widespread operational crisis at IndiGo, India’s largest airline, spiralled into a scene of heartbreaking desperation this week. As the fourth consecutive day of major flight cancellations and delays brought chaos to airports nationwide, a viral video emerged, vividly capturing the human suffering behind the massive disruption.

Viral Plea Underscores Crisis Severity

The video, which has been shared across social media, shows a visibly distraught father at an IndiGo counter desperately pleading with airline staff to provide a sanitary pad for his teenage daughter who was bleeding. Stranded for hours waiting for a delayed or cancelled flight, the man’s distress was palpable as he repeated, “My daughter needs a sanitary pad… she is bleeding. The father is crying. Flights are not running on time.”

The incident quickly became a symbol of the larger crisis, highlighting the lack of basic passenger support and communication at a time when thousands of travellers were stuck at major terminals in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

Four Days of Nationwide Turmoil

The disruption has been a four-day ordeal, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights daily. On Friday alone, IndiGo took the unprecedented step of cancelling all domestic departures from Delhi airport until midnight in an attempt to reset its spiralling schedule.

Passengers have reported long delays, lost baggage, and a complete lack of clarity, leading to angry confrontations with airline staff who are themselves overwhelmed. Other deeply personal stories have also surfaced, including one traveller who was stranded while carrying her father’s ashes for a crucial religious ritual. The chaos has not only ruined travel plans but has also caused one-way ticket prices on other carriers to soar to exorbitant levels.

What Caused the Meltdown?

IndiGo has attributed the severe disruption to a combination of factors, including winter schedule pressures and an unforeseen shortage of pilots. The core issue appears to be the recent full implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules by the aviation regulator (DGCA), which mandate stricter rest and duty-hour limits for pilots to enhance safety.

Industry critics, including pilot federations, argue that the airline failed to plan adequately for these rule changes despite having two years’ notice. This lack of preparation led to a severe crew shortage that quickly crippled the airline’s high-frequency, low-cost operations.

Steps to Stability: A Long Road Ahead

The DGCA has intervened, initiating a probe and granting the airline some temporary, limited relaxation on certain duty norms while demanding a concrete mitigation plan. IndiGo has formally apologised, acknowledging the “serious operational crisis.”

The airline has informed the regulator that it will proactively cut more flights starting December 8 to help stabilise its network. However, the path to full recovery is expected to be long, with IndiGo indicating that stable flight operations may not be fully restored until February 2026.

For now, the powerful image of the desperate father remains a stark reminder that beneath the statistics of cancelled flights and delayed schedules, the crisis is fundamentally about human well-being.