India's largest airline, IndiGo, is grappling with a severe operational meltdown that entered its fourth consecutive day on Friday. The crisis has seen the carrier's famed punctuality completely collapse, causing massive disruptions for thousands of passengers across the country.
OTP Nosedive and Widespread Cancellations
Data published by the Civil Aviation Ministry revealed a shocking decline in IndiGo's performance. The airline's on-time performance (OTP) at six major metro airports plummeted to a mere 8.5% on Friday. This marks a dramatic fall from 19.7% on Wednesday and 35% on Tuesday, signaling a rapid deterioration.
The OTP metric is measured across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. In a drastic step to manage the chaos, sources stated that IndiGo halted all departures from Chennai until 6 pm and suspended flights from Delhi Airport until midnight on Friday.
News agency PTI reported that flight cancellations for the day exceeded 400. The worst-hit airports included Mumbai (118 cancellations), Bengaluru (100), Hyderabad (75), Kolkata (35), Chennai (26), and Goa (11).
Passenger Ordeal and Systemic Impact
The fallout has been severe for travelers. Passengers have reported being stranded for hours without updates, access to food, water, or functional service counters. Delays stretching beyond 12 hours have led to severe crowding at major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, and Goa.
With IndiGo commanding roughly 65% of India's domestic air traffic, its paralysis has created a ripple effect across the entire aviation sector. Higher fares, reduced seat availability, and congested terminals are now affecting passengers of other airlines as well.
The crisis has also impacted investor sentiment. IndiGo's stock fell nearly 3% to ₹5,291.45 during Friday's afternoon trading on the BSE. The airline is partly owned by promoter Rahul Bhatia.
Regulatory Intervention and Long Road to Recovery
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has stepped in, directing IndiGo to submit a comprehensive recovery plan. The regulator has mandated that the roadmap must cover:
- Pilot recruitment and training timelines
- Changes to crew rostering systems
- Detailed safety assessments
IndiGo has also been ordered to submit fortnightly progress reports to the DGCA. In response, the airline has informed the regulator that "normalised and stable operations will be fully restored by 10 February 2026."
This timeline underscores the depth of the operational challenges. IndiGo operates a massive network with over 400 aircraft, running more than 2,300 daily flights to 90+ domestic and 45 international destinations. It carried 118 million passengers in FY25 and was recently awarded "Best Airline in India and South Asia" at the 2025 Skytrax Awards.
The scale of the disruption is stark when compared to competitors. On Thursday, while IndiGo struggled, other airlines reported significantly higher OTPs: Air India (61%), Air India Express (58.6%), Akasa Air (63%), SpiceJet (56.4%), and Alliance Air (56%).
