IndiGo Battles Escalating Crisis As Massive Two-Day Disruptions Trigger Long Queues, Sudden Cancellations And Severe Uncertainty For Holiday Travellers

Published on December 4, 2025

India’s busy air travel network faced widespread turbulence this week as IndiGo, the country’s largest airline by market share, struggled to maintain its operations amid a wave of cancellations and delays across major airports. The disruption, which stretched into a second consecutive day on Wednesday, left passengers facing long waits, last-minute schedule changes, and significant uncertainty during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

IndiGo cancelled more than two hundred flights and delayed many more, a scale of disruption that exposed deeper operational challenges building over the past several weeks. Fresh data showed the airline recorded barely a third of its flights on time on December 2, the lowest punctuality score among major carriers that day. For an airline that built much of its reputation on reliability and efficiency, the slump has caught the attention of regulators, industry observers, and travellers alike.

According to detailed submissions made to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo cancelled over one thousand flights in November alone. More than half of these disruptions stemmed from shortages linked to Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, which dictate how long pilots and cabin crew can work without rest. India implemented updated rostering rules on November 1, increasing mandatory weekly rest and reducing night-time landing limits. These changes, designed to improve crew well-being and safety, have required airlines to overhaul scheduling practices. Most carriers adapted with relatively minor disruptions, but IndiGo appears to have faced deeper challenges aligning its operations with the revised norms.

The operational strain became particularly visible across major hubs. Delhi reported over sixty cancellations, while combined cancellations at Mumbai and Bengaluru crossed seventy by Wednesday evening. Airports in Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Srinagar also experienced significant delays and cancellations as IndiGo attempted to manage its limited crew resources against a tight winter schedule. Rising passenger traffic, typical for the season, only added to the pressure.

Behind the scenes, the airline has been dealing with increased attrition within its cockpit and cabin crew divisions. Industry sources noted that recruitment campaigns by large international airlines in major Indian cities have attracted a notable number of IndiGo staff. While crew movement between carriers is common, the timing of these departures—just as new duty limitations took effect—has amplified the strain on IndiGo’s rosters.

The airline attributed the disruptions to a combination of operational hurdles, including seasonal schedule adjustments, technology-related issues, airspace congestion, and adverse weather conditions in some regions. It maintained that several factors were beyond its immediate control but acknowledged that the overall impact on passengers had been significant. To stabilise operations, IndiGo introduced a series of calibrated schedule adjustments, expected to remain in place for two days. These changes aim to reduce pressure on the remaining crew and help the airline rebuild punctuality across its network.

The DGCA has launched an investigation to understand the full scope of the disruption. The regulator confirmed that cancellations in November were driven not only by crew constraints but also by air traffic restrictions and airport-side limitations. It has directed IndiGo to submit a detailed report explaining the current disruption along with a mitigation plan to ensure smoother functioning through the winter season, traditionally a period of tight flight schedules and high traveller demand.

IndiGo has seen its on-time performance steadily decline over the last month. Its punctuality rate fell from more than eighty percent in October to under seventy percent in November, signalling that operational adjustments had not yet fully taken hold. The airline has committed to strengthening its crew planning systems, improving coordination with ATC authorities, and enhancing turnaround processes at airports.

As India moves through one of the busiest travel windows of the year, IndiGo faces the challenge of restoring confidence among passengers who rely on the airline’s extensive network. Its ability to stabilise schedules quickly will determine how smoothly the winter travel season unfolds—not only for the carrier but for the wider aviation ecosystem that depends heavily on its operations.