Aviation Ministry orders IndiGo to cut winter schedule by 10% after “abnormal” nationwide disruptions

The Aviation Ministry has directed IndiGo to slash its approved winter schedule by at least 10%, following a week of widespread cancellations and severe operational disruptions that left thousands of passengers stranded across the country.

In an internal communication reviewed by the Ministry, officials said IndiGo had “not been able to adequately manage its operational resources, including aircraft and pilot crew,” leading to “substantial disruption to air traffic across the country.”

The directive comes a day after the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo over large-scale cancellations. The Ministry has now instructed the regulator to modify the existing notice and issue a fresh one, incorporating the mandatory 10% curtailment.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday that the Ministry had ordered the cutback after assessing the airline’s response and disruption patterns. He added that IndiGo’s leadership has been summoned to provide an operational update and explain the airline’s inability to stabilise schedules.

Officials said the situation will remain under “periodic review”, with the possibility of further action if performance does not improve.

IndiGo has been instructed to comply with all directives issued by the Ministry, even as it works to restore normal operations. The airline operates more than 1,800 daily flights and accounts for over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, making any disruption ripple across the sector.

The Ministry’s move marks one of the most stringent interventions in recent years, signalling heightened regulatory scrutiny of operational resilience among India’s airlines.