India’s largest airline, IndiGo, continued to struggle with severe operational disruptions on Thursday, forcing the cancellation of dozens of flights and leaving thousands of travellers stuck at airports across the country. The chaos, largely driven by a shortage of crew, especially pilots, showed no sign of easing.
Widespread Cancellations Across Major Cities
Flight operations were hit hardest in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and other key hubs.
In the early hours of Thursday alone, over 30 departures from Delhi were scrapped, while Hyderabad logged around 33 cancellations. Mumbai also witnessed a series of last-minute disruptions, adding to the frustration of passengers already caught in long queues.
Sources told NDTV that more than 170 IndiGo flights were likely to be cancelled on Thursday. This comes after around 200 cancellations were reported across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Airline Acknowledges ‘Significant Disruptions’
IndiGo, which operates nearly 2,200 flights daily, admitted that its network had been “significantly disrupted” and issued an apology to passengers.
The airline cited a combination of factors contributing to the crisis:
- Minor technical glitches
- Winter-season schedule adjustments
- Unfavourable weather
- Rising congestion within the aviation system
- New crew rostering norms under updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL)
According to the carrier, these issues created a compounding impact that could not have been anticipated.
IndiGo to Implement Schedule Adjustments
To restore stability, IndiGo said it had introduced calibrated schedule adjustments, which will remain in place for the next 48 hours. The airline expects these measures to help stabilise operations and gradually restore punctuality across its network.
Revised Crew Norms Deepen the Crisis
One of the biggest contributors to the disruption is the sharp shortage of pilots and crew following the rollout of stricter FDTL standards in November.
The updated rules require:
- 48 hours of weekly rest,
- Longer night-time operating hours,
- A cap of two night landings, down from six.
These changes, initially opposed by several domestic airlines, including IndiGo, were eventually enforced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after directions from the Delhi High Court. While phase one of the rules began in July, the second phase took effect from 1 November.
DGCA Summons IndiGo, Launches Probe
Amid rising passenger complaints, the DGCA has summoned IndiGo officials for a meeting on Thursday. The regulator has launched an investigation and asked the airline to provide a detailed explanation for the disruptions, along with a plan to reduce cancellations and delays.
Over 1,200 Flights Cancelled in November Alone
Based on operational data submitted by IndiGo, the DGCA noted that 1,232 flights were cancelled in November. Of these:
- 755 were attributed to crew and FDTL-related constraints,
- 258 to airport or airspace restrictions,
- 92 to ATC system failures, and
- 127 to various other issues.
The airline’s On-Time Performance (OTP) also took a sharp hit, falling to 67.7 per cent in November, down from 84.1 per cent in October.
