IndiGo, the airline long associated with punctuality, reliability and scale, is facing its most severe operational breakdown. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled for nearly a week, exposing gaps in crew
planning, miscalculations under new pilot rest rules and a staffing model that left little margin for error.With a large share of its pilots hitting mandatory rest periods at the same time, IndiGo’s tightly run scheduling system buckled. The airline’s strategy of maximising night operations and keeping every aircraft flying, once a key driver of its dominance, failed under the new regulatory environment.Here is an explainer on the crisis:CRISISIndiGo has cancelled hundreds of flights for six consecutive days, including more than 650 on Sunday out of its usual 2,300. Tens of thousands of passengers have been affected nationwide - many missing weddings, job interviews or medical appointments.Because IndiGo controls over 65 per cent of India’s domestic market, the ripple effect was felt across the aviation system. Airports struggled to manage crowds, and rival carriers lacked the capacity to absorb stranded travellers. At several terminals, long queues formed, bags piled up in corners and communication gaps frustrated passengers.Regulators introduced fare caps and advisories, while IndiGo offered refunds, fee waivers and a gradual restoration plan. But recovery in a market dominated by IndiGo and Air India, which together hold more than 91 per cent of domestic share, is proving slow.
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TRIGGERThe Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) fully enforced new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) from November 1, 2025. The rules were aimed at reducing pilot fatigue and bringing India closer to global safety standards.Key changes included:-Increasing weekly rest from 36 to 48 hours-Cutting weekly late-night landings from six to two-Capping night-time flight duty at 10 hours-Restricting pilots to no more than two consecutive night duties-Extending the definition of night to 00:00–06:00These restrictions sharply reduced the number of hours pilots could fly each week. Airlines were first notified in January 2024, with phased implementation from July 2025.
POOR PLANNINGIndiGo reportedly underestimated the number of additional pilots required. For its large Airbus A320 fleet, the airline assessed a need for 2,422 captains but had only 2,357, with similar shortages among first officers.Its long-standing “lean-staffing” model, built around limited hiring, high utilisation and minimal roster buffers, left the airline unable to cope when large groups of pilots simultaneously entered mandatory rest.The approach had worked earlier, but it offered no cushion under the tighter FDTL regime.
CANCELLATIONSThe first wave of mass cancellations appeared on December 2. By December 3, at least 150 flights were cancelled across major hubs including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The situation worsened in subsequent days.Passengers complained of cancellations even after check-in or boarding. Poor communication added to frustration as many were repeatedly rescheduled and later cancelled.For thousands, the disruption meant missing critical personal and professional events, along with expensive last-minute rebookings.
76 FLIGHTS CANCELLED IN KOLKATAKolkata airport authorities said 76 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Sunday - 53 departures and 23 arrivals.“IndiGo Flights scheduled departures: 129, scheduled arrivals: 97; cancelled today, departures: 53, arrivals: 23,” the airport said on its X handle.Passengers said they faced “harassment” due to repeated rescheduling. One traveller said: “We planned to fly on Sunday to Mumbai… after three reschedules, the flight was cancelled, and the next available ticket was three times the price.”IndiGo said it operated 1,650 out of 2,300 flights on Sunday and expected its network to stabilise by December 10.
61 FLIGHTS CANCELLED IN HYDERABADHyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw 61 outbound and 56 inbound cancellations on Sunday. Crowds formed at IndiGo counters, with passengers seeking information.IndiGo said it was focusing on “stabilising schedules, reducing delays, and supporting customers.”IndiGo said on Sunday it was operating 1,650 flights and cancelling 650 as it worked to restore its network. The airline recorded an on-time performance of 20.7 per cent on Saturday but said operations had improved from Friday, when it cancelled around 1,600 flights - the worst day in its history.“Following the recent operational disruptions, IndiGo confirms that we are establishing further significant and sustained improvements across our network,” a spokesperson said.The airline said it was cancelling flights earlier in the day so customers would not arrive at airports only to discover cancellations.“We continue to work closely with all authorities and stakeholders to ensure a swift return to full normalcy,” the spokesperson said.
INITIAL AIRLINE RESPONSEIndiGo first acknowledged the disruptions on December 3, attributing them to technology issues, winter scheduling, weather, air traffic congestion and updated crew rostering rules. The airline said these factors had a “negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated.”It added that cancellations stemmed from “misjudgment and planning gaps.”
BOOKINGSDespite the worsening situation, IndiGo continued accepting bookings and checking in passengers for flights that were later delayed and cancelled. Even after six days, many passengers said they still had no clarity on which flights were operating.
APOLOGYIndiGo issued a public apology on December 4. On December 5, CEO Pieter Elbers offered another apology and outlined steps to solve the crisis, saying he expected operations to “return to a full, normal operation” between December 10 and 15.The airline announced measures including automatic full refunds, cancellation fee waivers, hotel stays, meals, transport support and lounge access for senior citizens.
RULES SUSPENDEDFacing widespread disruption, the DGCA granted IndiGo temporary relief from certain night-duty restrictions for its A320 fleet until February 10, 2026. The regulator also launched an inquiry and required the airline to submit fortnightly reports and a roadmap for building roster resilience.
FARE CAPSWith fares skyrocketing - Delhi–Bengaluru tickets crossing Rs 40,000 and some exceeding Rs 80,000 - the government ordered airlines to comply with fare caps.
SHOW-CAUSE NOTICEOn December 6, DGCA issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras, noting that disruptions were caused by the airline’s “non-provisioning of adequate arrangements” for the new FDTL rules.
BOARD COMMITTEEIndiGo said on Sunday its board created a Crisis Management Group comprising chairman Vikram Singh Mehta and directors Gregg Saretsky, Mike Whitaker and Amitabh Kant. Elbers said the airline was “step by step… getting back,” with 1,650 flights operating on Sunday.The airline said 137 out of its 138 destinations were operational on December 7.
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