IndiGo Suffers Widespread Flight Disruptions With More Than Five Hundred Cancellations, Airline Implements Temporary Solutions And Aims For Full Operational Recovery By February 10

Published on December 5, 2025

IndiGo is currently facing significant operational disruptions, with over five hundred flights cancelled due to a severe crew shortage. The airline has acknowledged the impact on passengers and has outlined plans to restore normal operations by February 10. To help mitigate the ongoing challenges, IndiGo has requested temporary relaxations on pilot duty hour regulations. These efforts are part of the airline’s strategy to stabilize its operations and resume full service after multiple days of cancellations and delays.

IndiGo, one of India’s leading budget airlines, is working to recover from widespread flight disruptions caused by a severe crew shortage. The airline has confirmed it expects to resume normal operations by February 10, following a week of significant cancellations. IndiGo has requested temporary relaxations from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regarding restrictions on pilots’ nighttime duties to help mitigate the ongoing disruption. This situation, which has affected hundreds of flights, is now into its fourth day.

The series of disruptions started after the airline experienced a shortage of flight crew, leading to the cancellation of over 500 flights in a single day. On the fourth day of these operational issues, IndiGo’s website indicated that several morning flights, such as those from Delhi to Pune (flights 6E 2343, 6E 2471, and 6E 6692), were cancelled. Meanwhile, other flights continued to experience delays, including those from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The airport’s public relations officer confirmed that two flights were cancelled, and four others were delayed. In addition, reports from Delhi airport indicated the cancellation of 225 arrivals and departures, exacerbating the situation for many travelers.

The DGCA’s investigation into the matter revealed that the disruptions were a result of planning and scheduling miscalculations. These errors occurred during the rollout of Phase 2 of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), a new regulation affecting crew members’ duty hours. IndiGo admitted that its initial crew requirements were underestimated, contributing to the scale of the disruption. This has led the airline to make several operational changes, including the request for relaxation in pilot duty hours, to alleviate the immediate pressure.

In a statement issued on Thursday, IndiGo offered a sincere apology to its passengers and industry partners for the inconvenience caused by these disruptions. The airline emphasized its commitment to restoring normal services and minimizing the impact on its network. As part of its recovery plan, IndiGo is working to rectify its scheduling issues, optimize crew management, and avoid further cancellations.

The government has taken note of the ongoing crisis, with Civil Aviation Minister convening a high-level meeting to review the situation. The government stressed that all measures aimed at restoring normal operations and supporting affected passengers would be closely monitored. The government also emphasized the importance of maintaining stable airfares during this period, despite the disruptions.

The airline’s operational challenges have had a negative impact on its financial performance. Shares of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, saw a significant decline of 3.4% on Thursday and a cumulative drop of approximately 6% over the week, according to Reuters reports. This reflects the broader economic consequences of the ongoing crisis.

Further cancellations are expected in the coming days, with the DGCA indicating that IndiGo will scale back operations starting from December 8 in an effort to control the disruptions. Despite this, the airline is aiming to stabilize its operations and return to full capacity as soon as possible.

Industry groups have voiced their concerns over IndiGo’s handling of the situation. The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) pointed out that the disruption was a result of insufficient proactive resource planning by major airlines, including IndiGo. The group also speculated that IndiGo may be seeking to pressure the DGCA into relaxing the newly introduced flight duty time limitations to ease the situation.

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) also weighed in, accusing IndiGo of failing to adequately prepare for the full implementation of new crew duty and rest period regulations, despite having a two-year transition period. The FIP specifically highlighted that IndiGo had implemented a hiring freeze, which they claimed further exacerbated the current crew shortage.

IndiGo acknowledged the challenges in restoring normal flight operations and meeting punctuality targets, emphasizing that this process would not be easy and would require significant effort from the entire team.

As IndiGo continues to address these operational issues, it remains to be seen how quickly the airline can recover and restore passenger confidence. With the company’s commitment to resolving the situation, passengers are urged to stay updated on flight statuses and make necessary adjustments to their travel plans.