Delhi to Kolkata: DGCA Slashes IndiGo Winter Schedule by 5% After Nationwide Flight Chaos — Full Update

Published on December 9, 2025

Across major Indian airports — from Delhi and Kolkata to Bengaluru and Hyderabad — air travellers are reeling as IndiGo cancels hundreds of flights daily. In response, the DGCA has ordered the carrier to cut down its winter‑season flight schedule by 5 per cent, effective immediately. Regulators say IndiGo expanded its departures by over 9 per cent compared with last winter, even while operating fewer aircraft. With repeated failures to operate approved services reliably, DGCA demanded a revised schedule by 10 December.

This dramatic step underlines how deep the disruption has become, affecting domestic connectivity in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and many other cities nationwide.

What triggered the meltdown: schedule overload meets new crew norms

The disruption began after the implementation of stricter crew‑duty regulations under the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) mandated by DGCA. According to the airline, a combination of factors — including crew shortages due to rest‑period rules, minor technical glitches, and the sheer pressure of an expanded winter schedule — led to an unprecedented wave of cancellations.

In November alone, IndiGo reportedly canceled 1,232 flights, of which 755 were attributed to crew‑related constraints under FDTL norms. On‑time performance (OTP) sank from 84.1 per cent in October to just 67.7 per cent.

The breakdown in operations spiraled into chaos by early December: massive cancellation clusters, long delays, stranded passengers, unreturned luggage, and widespread criticism of IndiGo’s management.

What DGCA and the government are doing: crackdown, exemptions, and accountability

As pressure mounted, the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation convened high‑level reviews. The regulator first issued a show‑cause notice to IndiGo.

Given the scale of disruption, DGCA also granted a temporary exemption — waiving certain parts of the FDTL rules for night‑duty operations of IndiGo’s Airbus A320 fleet — to help stabilise flights.

Simultaneously, DGCA mandated a 5% cut in IndiGo’s winter schedule (roughly 110–115 flights daily, from a base of ~2,300) and asked for a revised schedule submission by 10 December.

The government has also issued directives to airlines: all cancelled‑flight refunds must be processed automatically, without passenger requests, and airlines must provide clear, real‑time updates. Stranded passengers are entitled to hotel accommodation until they can be re‑booked.

Further, a parliamentary panel is reportedly preparing to summon DGCA, the aviation ministry, and all major airlines — underlining the severity of the crisis and the demand for accountability.

The ground reality: travellers, chaos, and a shaky winter travel season

Between 2 – 9 December, more than 4,500 flights across IndiGo’s network have been cancelled. On a single day, cancellations reportedly peaked around 1,600 flights.

Major airports — including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Pune — saw heavy cancellations and hour‑long delays. Passengers scrambled for alternatives, many forced to rebook at skyrocketing airfares, take trains after long waiting hours, or face overnight stays without clarity from the airline.

In some cases, check‑in luggage remained unreturned for over 24 hours. Others complained of confused helplines and lack of clear communication from IndiGo staff.

For many passengers, the situation feels like a disaster unfolding mid‑winter — strange for what should be the peak travel season.

IndiGo’s response and recovery plan: refund blitz, root‑cause probe, restoration target

IndiGo has pledged to refund passengers for cancelled flights promptly. As of 8 December, the airline says it has processed refunds amounting to ₹827 crore, and aims to finish all pending refunds by 15 December.

The airline has also initiated a “root‑cause analysis” and submitted it to DGCA, accepting that crew‑duty constraints, scheduling overload, and technical issues jointly caused the mess.

IndiGo expects operations to normalise completely by 10 February 2026, with the hopes that compliance with revised crew rostering, enhanced turnaround procedures, and gradual build‑up of schedule will restore stability.

What this means for travellers and the broader aviation landscape

This crisis highlights a key vulnerability in India’s aviation industry: aggressive expansion without matching human‑resource and operational readiness. For travellers, it means deep uncertainty — even in a season when flight demand typically surges.

DGCA’s firm intervention may set a precedent: regulators will likely expect airlines to balance growth with sustainable crew rostering and schedule discipline. For consumers, the recent directives — automatic refunds, hotel accommodation, transparent updates — offer some immediate relief.

But confidence will take time to rebuild. With the winter schedule slashed and alternative airlines likely to get redistributed slots, travellers may face tighter availability, higher prices, and a more competitive booking environment till mid‑2026.

Meanwhile, the aviation industry and policy‑makers will be under pressure to re‑examine scheduling practices, crew deployment norms, and contingency planning to avoid repeat disruptions.

Emotional pulse — passengers, hope and flight chaos

For many stranded travellers, this winter has become a nightmare: canceled flights, lost luggage, last‑minute cancellations, long waiting hours and expensive re‑bookings. Airports across the country have witnessed scenes of frustration — pregnant women, elderly travellers, business passengers missing assignments — all grappling with uncertainty.

Yet amid the chaos, there is a ray of hope. The DGCA’s decisive action, the airline’s refund commitment, and the roadmap for normalisation signal that the crisis may soon ease. But, as winter travel surges, the real test will be whether IndiGo and regulators can deliver — on time, with reliability, and without breaking passenger trust.