India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has launched a formal investigation into the massive operational disruptions at IndiGo, the country's largest airline. The probe was initiated on Wednesday, December 4, 2025, following a day of widespread chaos that saw the cancellation of over 150 flights across the nation and significant delays affecting hundreds more.
Scale of the Disruption
The crisis was acutely felt at the capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), where at least 38 IndiGo flights were cancelled. Data from live flight tracking service Flightradar24 revealed that departures from Delhi faced an average delay of 50 minutes, while arrivals were relatively smoother with an average 12-minute delay. The cascading effect of cancellations and extended hold-ups left thousands of passengers stranded and frustrated at airports nationwide.
Causes and Carrier's Response
In an official statement, IndiGo attributed the breakdown to a combination of unforeseen challenges. The primary factor cited was a crew shortage following the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules, which govern rest and duty periods for flight crew. This was compounded by minor technology glitches, adverse weather in some regions, winter schedule changes, and general airport congestion.
"A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges... had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated," the airline stated. To contain the fallout, IndiGo announced it had initiated "calibrated adjustments" to its schedule for the next 48 hours, involving rescheduling and further cancellations to align operations with available crew resources.
Regulatory Scrutiny and Industry Backlash
The DGCA has demanded a detailed explanation and a concrete action plan from the airline. The regulator has asked IndiGo to present the facts leading to the crisis and outline steps to mitigate ongoing delays and cancellations. The DGCA stated it is evaluating measures with the airline to minimize passenger inconvenience.
However, pilot unions have placed the blame squarely on IndiGo's management. The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) accused the carrier of being ill-prepared for the new FDTL norms despite ample notice, suggesting the disruptions reflected a failure in proactive resource planning. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) went further, calling the situation a direct result of IndiGo's "prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy" in flight operations and other departments. Both associations raised concerns that such operational meltdowns could be used to pressure regulators into diluting the new safety-oriented crew rest rules.
The coming days will be critical as the DGCA's investigation progresses and IndiGo works to stabilize its network under the watchful eye of the regulator and the traveling public.
