India's largest airline, IndiGo, has plunged into a severe operational crisis, culminating in the unprecedented grounding of all its domestic departures from Delhi airport until midnight. This drastic step, confirmed by Delhi airport via its official social media account, marks a significant escalation of disruptions that have plagued air travel across the country for days.
Nationwide Chaos: A Trail of Cancellations and Delays
The past week has been a nightmare for thousands of passengers, characterized by endless delays, sudden cancellations, and profound uncertainty. For IndiGo, it has turned into a desperate race to restore order to a network stretched beyond its breaking point. The scale of the disruption is staggering. Reports indicate that on Friday alone, over 400 IndiGo flights were cancelled across India, marking one of the airline's most chaotic operational periods ever.
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport bore the brunt of the fallout, witnessing more than 220 flight cancellations in a single day. Bengaluru followed with approximately 100 cancellations, and Hyderabad faced nearly 90. The shockwaves were felt at other major airports as well, underscoring the nationwide extent of the schedule collapse. The situation was already dire on Thursday, with sources reporting over 550 cancellations, including 172 from Delhi, adding to the more than 300 flights scrapped in the preceding 48 hours.
Passenger Ordeal and Airline's Response
Social media has become a chronicle of passenger distress. One traveller recounted being stranded at Hyderabad Airport for over 15 hours for a Pune flight with no resolution from the airline. Such stories highlight the human cost—missed appointments, exhausted families, and growing frustration.
Facing mounting criticism, IndiGo issued a public apology. "The last two days have seen widespread disruption across IndiGo’s network and operations. We extend a heartfelt apology to all our customers," the airline stated on X. It assured that teams are working with regulatory bodies like the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA), DGCA, and airport operators to restore normalcy. However, the airline's advice to passengers—check flight status, arrive early, carry essentials, and consider flexible tickets—offers little solace to those already caught in the chaos.
Contradicting its earlier assurance of normalizing operations within 48 hours, reports suggest IndiGo has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it will reduce flights starting December 8, with full stability expected only by February 10, 2026.
Root Causes: FDTL Rules and Allegations of Poor Planning
IndiGo has attributed the collapse to a "multitude of unforeseen operational challenges," including tech glitches, winter schedule changes, bad weather, and air traffic congestion. However, the primary trigger appears to be the implementation of the DGCA's revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules, enacted in January 2024 to combat pilot fatigue. These rules mandate longer weekly rest and stricter limits on night duties.
The impact on IndiGo has been disproportionately severe due to its operational model. With over 2,200 daily flights, even a 10-20% disruption translates to hundreds of cancellations. Its low-cost, high-frequency model, reliant on quick turnarounds and numerous night flights, is less compatible with the tighter FDTL norms.
Pilot unions, however, point to deeper systemic failures. The Airline Pilots' Association of India noted that airlines had nearly two years to prepare but started adjusting crew rosters too late. The Federation of Indian Pilots was more scathing, calling the crisis "the direct consequence of IndiGo's prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy." In a letter to the DGCA, it alleged the airline maintained a hiring freeze and stagnant pilot pay despite knowing the new rules were imminent, calling the approach "short-sighted."
Both pilot bodies have urged the DGCA to strictly verify airline crew strength before approving flight schedules. They have also warned against any hasty relaxation of the new safety norms, emphasizing that passenger safety must not be compromised.
As IndiGo struggles to regain its footing, passengers nationwide are left bracing for more uncertainty, hoping the promise of smoother skies materializes sooner rather than later.
