NEW DELHI, India – December 4, 2025 – India’s largest low-cost carrier, IndiGo, is grappling with a severe operational crisis for the third consecutive day, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and disrupting air travel across the country. Major airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad reported continued cancellations and long delays as the airline struggles to stabilize its schedule.
The Scale of the Disruption
The turbulence began earlier this week, with more than 200 flights collectively canceled on both Tuesday and Wednesday. The widespread nature of the disruption is evident in data from the aviation regulator:
- November Cancellations: IndiGo cancelled a staggering 1,232 flights in November alone.
- Primary Cause: The majority of these cancellations—755 flights—were attributed to crew and Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) compliance issues.
- On-Time Performance (OTP) Plunge: The airline’s punctuality has dramatically worsened. Its OTP fell sharply from 84.1% in October to 67.7% in November, with reports indicating that its daily OTP plummeted to as low as 35% on Tuesday in the midst of the crisis.
The FDTL Fallout and Crew Shortage
Industry sources and the airline itself point to a severe crew shortage, particularly pilots, exacerbated by the recent implementation of updated FDTL norms. These new rules, mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to combat pilot fatigue, enforce stricter rest periods (including a mandate for 48 consecutive hours of rest weekly) and limit night operations.
While the new FDTL norms are aimed at enhancing flight safety and crew welfare, the sudden increased requirement for pilots has revealed a lack of preparedness in IndiGo’s scheduling and recruitment efforts.
Passenger Chaos and Regulatory Scrutiny
The cascading delays and cancellations have led to chaos at airport terminals and a surge of frustrated complaints on social media, with reports of some delays lasting up to 10 hours.
In response to the unprecedented operational failure, the DGCA has summoned IndiGo’s senior management to headquarters to explain the disruptions and present a detailed plan for mitigation.
IndiGo acknowledged the issue in a statement, citing a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges” including technology glitches, winter schedule changes, and airport congestion, in addition to the new FDTL rules. The airline announced that it has initiated “calibrated adjustments” to its flight schedules, a move effectively meaning further cuts, for the next 48 hours to “normalise our operations and progressively recover our punctuality.”
The crisis has also led to soaring ticket prices on unaffected routes, as travelers desperately seek alternative transport during the peak holiday travel season.
