India’s aviation regulator has taken a stern view of the severe operational breakdown at IndiGo, calling the airline’s senior leadership for an urgent review meeting after days of mass cancellations, overcrowded airports and widespread passenger distress across the country.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), chaired by the Director General himself, convened a detailed review on Thursday with IndiGo’s top management after the airline reported 170–200 daily cancellations, a number far above normal levels, since late November. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airport Authority of India (AAI) and senior government officials also examined the situation.
Airline Misjudged Crew Requirements Under New Fatigue Rules
According to the DGCA’s assessment, IndiGo’s disruption was driven by a combination of crew-planning gaps, transitional challenges during Phase 2 of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, and winter-season constraints.
The updated FDTL regulations, rolled out in two phases on 1 July and 1 November 2025 following court directives, tightened limits on night-duty hours to improve pilot fatigue management. IndiGo admitted during the meeting that it had misjudged the crew strength needed for compliance, leading to acute shortages, particularly during night-time operations where most of its available slots now fall.
IndiGo Seeks Temporary Exemptions till 10 February 2026
Faced with escalating chaos, the airline has requested temporary operational exemptions from two FDTL clauses, para 3.11 (Night Duty definition) and 6.1.4 (operations encroaching night duty), for its A320 fleet. These relaxations have been sought until 10 February 2026, by when IndiGo claims it will restore full operational stability.
The DGCA noted that further cancellations are expected over the next few days as the airline realigns schedules but emphasised that safety margins will not be compromised.
Airports Overwhelmed as Cancellations Spike
IndiGo’s cancellations have snowballed across the network, with over 589 flights cancelled on Friday alone, leaving thousands stranded at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram. Delhi witnessed more than 220 cancellations and later saw all domestic IndiGo flights suspended until midnight.
DGCA teams deployed at major airports found that IndiGo had insufficient passenger-handling manpower to manage the disruption-induced rush. At Delhi Terminal 1, the regulator discovered shortages at check-in and support counters, prompting orders for immediate reinforcement at all affected terminals.
Delhi Airport issued an advisory warning travellers of “operational challenges” and urged them to check flight status in advance.
Minister Pulls Up Airline, Orders Real-Time Monitoring
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has taken a “serious note” of the widespread disruption and expressed “clear displeasure” at IndiGo’s handling of the crisis, stating that the airline had “ample time” to prepare for the FDTL transition.
In a high-level review meeting on Friday, attended by the Secretary of Civil Aviation, DGCA chief, senior MoCA officials and AAI representatives, the Minister directed:
- strict round-the-clock monitoring of IndiGo’s operations
- price checks to ensure airfares do not rise amid cancellations
- real-time passenger assistance at all major airports
- coordinated action between airports, ATC, and all airlines to restore normalcy
Officers have also been placed inside IndiGo’s operational control centres to track crew availability, rostering and communication processes.
Recovery Plan Mandated: Crew Hiring, Training and Rosters Under Review
The DGCA has instructed IndiGo to submit a comprehensive roadmap for full operational recovery, covering:
- projected crew recruitment aligned with aircraft induction
- reworked pilot rosters under new FDTL limits
- updated training plans
- safety-risk assessments and mitigation steps
- an immediate plan to cut cancellations over the coming days
- fortnightly progress reports until operations stabilise
The regulator flagged that IndiGo’s on-time performance had dropped to 19.7% on Wednesday, underlining the seriousness of the crisis.
Pilot Unions Blame Airline Planning, Not New FDTL Norms
Pilot bodies have publicly criticised IndiGo’s manpower planning, alleging that the airline froze hiring ahead of the FDTL rollout despite knowing that additional crew would be required to comply with the fatigue rules. They insist the new norms are vital for safety and that the disruption reflects poor internal planning rather than regulatory shortcomings.
IndiGo Says Fix Will Take Weeks
In an internal communication, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers acknowledged that restoring punctuality “will not be an easy target”, but assured staff that corrective steps are underway. The airline maintains that operations will fully normalise only by 10 February 2026.
