India's largest budget carrier, IndiGo, is battling a severe operational crisis that has left thousands of passengers stranded. Since Tuesday, the airline has been forced to cancel and delay hundreds of flights, prompting an immediate investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The airline attributes the massive disruption to a perfect storm of new pilot duty-time regulations, technical breakdowns at key airports, and severe winter congestion.
The Root Cause: New Rules to Combat Pilot Fatigue
At the heart of the crisis are the newly implemented Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). The second and final phase of these safety norms, designed to reduce pilot fatigue, took effect on 1 November 2025. The revised rules mandate significant changes, including increasing weekly rest for pilots from 36 to 48 hours. They also redefine night duty hours as the period between midnight and 6 AM, extending it by one hour, and crucially, reduce the permitted number of landings during this window from six to just two.
Aviation expert Captain Shakti Lumba, a former IndiGo employee, explained that these changes necessitate more pilots and a complete overhaul of duty rosters. The norms were introduced after a DGCA audit found widespread issues with pilot fatigue—a critical safety concern involving physical and mental exhaustion from irregular schedules and sleep deprivation.
Why Was IndiGo Hit the Hardest?
While other airlines are also affected, IndiGo's sheer scale of operations has magnified the impact. The airline operates over 2,300 daily departures, more than double its closest competitor, the Air India Group. Analysts note that IndiGo flies on about 600 of India's nearly 1,000 domestic routes, connecting vast sections of the country, including non-metro cities.
This extensive network, which relies on maximizing crew efficiency, was particularly vulnerable when the new night-duty caps kicked in. IndiGo runs numerous high-frequency overnight services, and the limit on night landings drastically reduced the number of flights a single crew could operate legally. Experts suggest the airline may have underestimated the impact, possibly hoping for another extension of the rules, which had already been delayed from an original June 2024 rollout date following industry pushback.
DGCA Steps In and the Road to Recovery
The situation remains fluid. Even on 4 December, a substantial number of flights were cancelled or delayed. The DGCA has formally stepped in, seeking a detailed explanation from IndiGo on the corrective measures it plans to implement. The airline stated on 3 December that it would take around 48 hours to stabilize operations, employing a calibrated approach that likely means cancellations on less popular routes.
IndiGo's approved winter schedule includes 15,014 weekly departures, but the current crisis may force it to operate fewer flights than planned in the short term. The coming days will be critical as the airline works to reset its crew rosters and the regulator ensures compliance with the new safety norms, all while managing the expectations of a massive passenger base.
