IndiGo Crisis Deepens: 1,000+ Flights Cancelled

New Delhi, December 05, 2025: The travel plans of thousands of air passengers have been thrown into chaos as IndiGo, India’s largest airline, grapples with a massive operational crisis. Over the past four days, the airline has been forced to cancel and significantly delay hundreds of flights daily, with total cancellations crossing the 1,000-mark. Airports across major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad have witnessed scenes of massive passenger frustration, with long queues, cancelled departures, and piles of unclaimed luggage.

The Core Problem: Pilot Shortage and New Duty Rules

While IndiGo initially cited a combination of minor technical glitches, adverse weather, and schedule changes, the primary cause for the meltdown appears to be an acute shortage of pilots and crew. This shortage has been made worse by the recent implementation of stricter Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on November 1st.

• Stricter Rules: The new FDTL rules significantly increase the mandatory weekly rest period for pilots and restrict the number of landings a pilot can perform during nighttime hours. These changes, aimed at combating pilot fatigue and enhancing flight safety, require the airline to have a larger pool of crew to operate the same number of flights.
• Planning Gaps: The DGCA, after meeting with the airline’s management, stated that the disruptions stemmed from IndiGo’s “misjudgment and planning gaps” in calculating the actual crew required under the revised rules. Pilot associations have also criticized the airline for allegedly not preparing adequately despite having advance notice of the rule changes.

Chaos at the Airports

The operational instability has led to unprecedented public inconvenience:

• Widespread Disruptions: On Thursday, the airline cancelled over 550 domestic and international flights, following more than 200 cancellations on Wednesday. Delays stretched up to 10-12 hours in some cases, leaving passengers stranded at terminals with little clarity on rebooking or refunds.
• Crowding and Protests: Scenes of angry flyers protesting at boarding gates have been reported across several airports. The regulator’s inspection at Delhi’s Terminal 1 found that the airline’s passenger-handling manpower was “inadequate” to manage the huge crowds caused by the cancellations.
• Soaring Fares: The sudden reduction in flight capacity has led to a sharp increase in ticket prices for available flights on other carriers, adding financial strain to stranded travellers.

What is the Airline Doing?

IndiGo has issued an apology to its customers and stated that it has initiated “calibrated adjustments” to its flight schedules to normalize operations. The airline has informed the DGCA of the following corrective actions:

• Immediate Flight Cuts: The airline is expected to reduce the number of flights it operates starting from December 8th to minimize further disruptions.
• Stability by February: IndiGo has assured the DGCA that it will only be able to fully restore “normalized and stable operations” by February 10, 2026.
• Seeking Exemptions: The airline has requested the DGCA for an exemption from specific FDTL rules, particularly those concerning reduced night flying, until February 10, 2026. The regulator is currently reviewing this demand.

The aviation regulator is closely monitoring the situation and has instructed IndiGo to urgently deploy more staff at airports to assist passengers and ensure that airfares do not rise unfairly due to the reduced capacity.