Overview
- IndiGo scrubbed more than 1,000 flights on Friday and about 1,600 since Tuesday, with airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and other cities heavily affected.
- DGCA issued seven one-time approvals, including deploying 12 Flight Operations Inspectors for 7–10 days, extending Designated Examiner refresher and standardisation validity to February 2026, and permitting flexible simulator training using approved instructors.
- The ministry placed Phase‑II Flight Duty Time Limitations in abeyance and the regulator exempted IndiGo’s A320 operations from specific night-duty limits until February 10, 2026, while restoring the ability to count leave toward weekly rest.
- IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologised, said the carrier rebooted schedules, and projected a return to normal between December 10 and 15, as Delhi airport reported flights were steadily resuming.
- Pilot bodies ALPA and APAI condemned the selective dispensations as unsafe and a dangerous precedent, while DGCA formed a four-member committee led by Sanjay K. Bramhane to report in 15 days after the airline acknowledged planning gaps; InterGlobe Aviation’s market value fell sharply during the crisis.