New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, continued to face major operational turbulence for the fourth consecutive day on Friday, leaving passengers
stranded across multiple airports. Delhi’s IGI airport alone recorded 225 cancellations, while Mumbai saw 104, Bengaluru Airport recorded 102 cancellations and Hyderabad 92. Chennai reported 31 cancellations, Pune 22, and Srinagar 10. In total, nearly 600 IndiGo flights were cancelled in a single day, marking one of the worst days of disruptions during the crisis.
GMR Delhi said that all IndiGo departures from the Delhi Airport have been cancelled till 3 PM today.
On Thursday, the airline cancelled over 550 flights. The disruptions have been triggered by a combination of crew shortages, planning gaps, winter congestion and technology-related issues.
IndiGo flight cancellations
The wave of cancellations, now crossing 1,000 in just four days, is the result of a chain reaction triggered earlier this week. Initial delays caused by an Airbus A320 software advisory pushed many services into late-night slots, which then collided with the newly enforced Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, turning a manageable delay into a full-scale operational crisis.
The airline has revised its schedules to stabilise operations, which means that pre-planned cancellations will continue for the next two to three days. IndiGo, which operates around 2,300 flights daily, saw its on-time performance plummet to 19.7 per cent on Wednesday, down from 35 per cent on Tuesday, severely impacting passengers nationwide.
Representatives of the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) met senior IndiGo officials on Thursday to discuss corrective measures. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers told staff that restoring punctuality would not be an “easy target”, acknowledging the depth of the disruption.
The scale of cancellations was significant across major airports on Thursday: 118 flights in Mumbai, 100 in Bengaluru, 75 in Hyderabad, 35 in Kolkata, 26 in Chennai and 11 in Goa, with several other airports also reporting last-minute cancellations, according to PTI. On Wednesday, at least 150 flights were cancelled.
IndiGo told DGCA that it expects to fully normalise operations by February 10, Reuters reported.
IndiGo admitted it miscalculated crew requirements while implementing the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) Phase 2 norms, which came into effect on November 1 following a court directive.
The updated flight duty norms have introduced several restrictions that are now disrupting IndiGo’s operations:
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Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours
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Pilots can undertake only two night landings in a week
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No more than two consecutive night duties are permitted
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Flights operating during the night window are capped at eight flying hours per day
These regulations have particularly affected IndiGo, which relies heavily on a high-frequency schedule and operates numerous late-night and early-morning flights.
The airline issued an apology to travellers and said its teams are coordinating with aviation authorities to restore normal operations. It also advised passengers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport.
