Mumbai: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) ordered a major curtailment of IndiGo’s winter flight schedule as operational disruptions at the airline continue to ripple across major airports, including
Mumbai. Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that several of IndiGo's routes will now be reassigned to smaller carriers to ensure continuity of passenger services. The move follows days of nationwide cancellations triggered by IndiGo’s inability to manage revised crew duty norms and a surge in flight operations.
IndiGo Had Increased Departures By Over 9% For Winter
A formal notice issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on December 8 revealed that IndiGo had increased its departures by 9.66 per cent for the Winter Schedule 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Despite this expansion, the airline has struggled to operate flights efficiently, resulting in widespread cancellations. The regulator noted that while IndiGo had approval to operate 15,014 weekly departures, amounting to 64,346 flights for November 2025, only 59,438 flights were actually operated. The month also saw a staggering 951 cancellations.
Further scrutiny showed that IndiGo, despite having approvals for 403 aircraft this winter, was only able to deploy 339 aircraft in October and 344 in November. The DGCA concluded that the airline had overestimated its operational capacity and failed to match schedule expansion with adequate crew and aircraft readiness.
DGCA Orders 5% Cut In Airline's Winter Schedule
As a corrective measure, the DGCA has directed IndiGo to cut its winter schedule by 5 per cent across sectors. The order places special emphasis on high-demand and high-frequency routes, where cancellations have caused the greatest inconvenience. The airline has been asked to submit a revised schedule by 5 pm on December 10.
Meanwhile, the MoCA has shifted into emergency oversight mode. Following a late-night high-level review meeting, the ministry instructed all senior officials to visit major airports for on-ground verification of IndiGo’s operations and passenger assistance mechanisms.
Senior MoCA Officials At Mumbai Airport
On Tuesday morning, Joint Secretary Madhu Sudan Sankar arrived at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to inspect the airline’s functioning, monitor passenger grievances, and review crowd management as cancellations continued.
The government’s intensified intervention shows growing concern over IndiGo’s operational instability, which has disrupted travel for thousands over the past week. With IndiGo being India’s largest domestic carrier, commanding nearly 60 per cent of the market, the decision to redistribute routes marks one of the most assertive regulatory actions in recent years, aimed at restoring order and minimising further passenger distress.
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