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IndiGo Scraps Hundreds of Flights and Halts Delhi Departures on Fourth Day of Nationwide Disruptions

Regulators pressed the airline to fix crew‑planning failures tied to new duty‑time rules as IndiGo seeks temporary relief and targets full stability by Feb. 10, 2026.

Stranded passengers stand in a queue at a counter after IndiGo cancelled more than 400 flights at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai early on Friday.
Stranded passengers look for their luggage near a counter after IndiGo cancelled more than 400 flights, at the Kempegowda International Airport, in Bengaluru, on Friday. (PTI Image)
Stranded passengers interact with IndiGo officials at airport in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
Bengaluru: Stranded passengers search for their luggage near a counter after IndiGo cancelled more than 400 flights, at the Kempegowda International Airport, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.

Overview

  • Operations deteriorated on Friday with widespread cancellations across major airports, all domestic departures from Delhi suspended until 11:59 pm, and Chennai departures paused until 6 pm.
  • The airline’s punctuality at six metro hubs fell to 8.5% on Thursday after earlier plunging to 19.7% on Wednesday, reflecting a network under severe strain.
  • DGCA and the Civil Aviation Ministry summoned IndiGo, launched real‑time inspections, ordered stronger passenger handling, and sought detailed hiring, training and rostering plans with regular progress reports.
  • IndiGo acknowledged underestimating pilot requirements under Phase‑2 Flight Duty Time Limitations, with night‑duty constraints and winter congestion compounding shortages.
  • The carrier told regulators it will continue calibrated cancellations for 2–3 days, cut frequencies from Dec. 8, and has requested temporary FDTL variations for A320 operations while aiming to fully stabilise by Feb. 10, 2026; passengers faced long queues, missing baggage and fare spikes, and other airlines saw spillover delays at airports such as Pune.