India’s busiest airline, IndiGo, has been struggling through one of its worst operational meltdowns, leaving thousands of travellers stranded at airports across the country. A combination of tighter crew-duty rules, winter congestion and a shortage of cockpit staff has resulted in widespread delays and cancellations that have stretched into several days.
Cancellations Pile Up Nationwide
By Friday, the crisis had snowballed into more than 750 fresh cancellations, following over 550 scrapped flights the previous day. Delhi was among the worst hit, with all IndiGo flights from the capital grounded until 11:59 pm. Chennai airport released its own list, which once again featured only IndiGo flights being cancelled.
Airports in Bengaluru, Goa, Hyderabad and Mumbai also saw severe disruptions. Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport reported over 100 cancellations early Friday. Goa’s Dabolim airport confirmed that 30 IndiGo flights across key domestic routes were pulled from operation in the morning itself.
Stranded passengers narrated harrowing experiences online. One traveller in Hyderabad wrote: “We have been at Hyderabad Airport from yesterday at 6:00 PM until today at 9:00 am over 12 hours with no action taken by IndiGo regarding the Pune flight.”
Major Airports Overwhelmed as Delays Spread
Mumbai cancelled 104 IndiGo flights, while Hyderabad recorded 132 disruptions split between arrivals and departures. Pune reported early-morning cancellations and even a diversion of a flight from Nagpur.
Kolkata saw more than 300 delayed movements in just three days, along with nearly 100 flight cancellations. Cancellations also reached Srinagar and Jammu, where 17 flights were withdrawn from service.
Several airports warned that IndiGo aircraft remained parked on the apron due to the lack of available crew, creating fresh bottlenecks for other carriers.
IndiGo Seeks Relief from Strict Duty Norms
The airline has admitted that the second phase of India’s revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) which came into force recently has added enormous strain on its workforce. The new rules mandate longer rest periods for pilots, restrict night operations and narrow duty-hour limits to reduce fatigue.
In a public statement, IndiGo said, “Our teams are working around the clock to ease customer discomfort and ensure operations stabilise as quickly as possible.”
It has also informed the regulator that it will scale down operations from December 8, with full recovery expected only by February 10, 2026.
Why IndiGo Is Affected More Than Other Carriers
IndiGo’s own business model is partly to blame. With more than 2,200–2,300 flights every day, the airline operates nearly twice as many flights as Air India. It also relies heavily on high-frequency night schedules the type of operations most restricted under the new rules.
A small dip in available crew leads to a domino effect: a delayed or cancelled night flight removes the same crew from multiple day flights, causing failures across the network. Rival carriers, currently operating with lower aircraft utilisation, have more pilots available per plane, cushioning them from similar chaos.
Pilot Bodies Criticise IndiGo’s Manpower Strategy
Pilot unions say the airline ignored early warnings. The Airline Pilots’ Association of India argued, “Despite sufficient time being accorded, most airlines started preparing rather late, failing to properly adjust crew rosters, 15 days in advance as required.”
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) was even more direct, stating that the crisis is a result of IndiGo’s long-running “lean manpower” approach. According to the group, the airline imposed a hiring freeze, entered non-poaching pacts and kept pilot salaries stagnant despite knowing that new FDTL norms would require more crew.
FIP wrote to the DGCA that the disruption is the result of “prolonged and unorthodox” staffing decisions and warned that repeated delays should not be used to pressure regulators for concessions.
Regulator Seeks Answers as IndiGo’s Punctuality Slumps
The DGCA has demanded a full account from the airline after IndiGo reported 1,232 cancellations in November alone, more than half due to crew and FDTL limitations. IndiGo’s on-time performance dropped from 84% in October to 67% in November, and plunged into the teens in early December.
The regulator is reviewing flight schedules for the winter and may require airlines to prove adequate staffing before receiving slot approvals.
Travel Advisory for Passengers
Airports and travel experts have urged passengers to:
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Check flight status repeatedly
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Arrive well ahead of departure
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Carry essentials like snacks, medicines and water
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Choose flexible or refundable tickets
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Monitor IndiGo’s customer-care updates for rebooking or refunds