For the third consecutive day, India’s largest airline IndiGo is in turmoil, cancelling hundreds of flights and leaving thousands of passengers stranded across the country. Cancellations have climbed sharply, with at least 175 flights dropped by Thursday morning according to one report, and some estimates placing the day’s total above 550.

On-time performance has collapsed, with only about 19.7 percent of IndiGo flights operating on schedule on December 3, a dramatic fall for a carrier long known for punctuality. Major airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru have been the most affected, each seeing dozens of IndiGo departures removed from schedules.

Long queues and frustrated travelers are now a common sight at airport counters, and India’s aviation regulator has demanded that IndiGo present a plan to resolve the crisis and restore normal operations.

TL;DR

  • IndiGo has entered Day 3 of operational collapse, with 175–550+ cancellations and severe nationwide delays.
  • New pilot duty-time rules (FDTL Phase 2) slashed legal night operations; IndiGo failed to staff or schedule for compliance.
  • Rival carriers are largely unaffected, highlighting IndiGo’s planning gaps and lean pilot roster.
  • On-time performance plunged to 19.7%, with Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Bengaluru worst hit.
  • IndiGo expects full normalization only by February 10, 2026, and has requested temporary rule exemptions.
  • Travelers face missed connections, long queues, rebookings and potential multi-week disruptions.

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What went wrong? New crew rules expose planning flaws

IndiGo’s mass disruptions stem largely from new pilot duty-time regulations that went into effect last month – changes aimed at reducing fatigue by mandating longer rest periods and stricter limits on night flights.

The Phase-2 Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules that began on November 1 capped overnight landings to 2 per week (down from 6) and extended the defined “night” hours (now midnight to 6am) when crew can work. While these safety-driven rules apply to all Indian airlines, IndiGo failed to adequately prepare its staffing and schedules for the tighter limits.

The airline has acknowledged “misjudgment and planning gaps” – essentially underestimating how many extra pilots would be needed under the new norms. As a result, acute crew shortages cascaded through IndiGo’s operations once the rules kicked in, forcing it to cancel flights when no legally fresh pilots were available.

Pilot unions and industry observers squarely blame IndiGo’s manpower strategy for the meltdown. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) noted that carriers had a two-year window to prepare for the FDTL changes, yet IndiGo “inexplicably adopted a hiring freeze” and kept a “lean” pilot roster that could not absorb the stricter limits.

“All other airlines have provisioned pilots adequately and remain largely unaffected” by the new rules, the pilots’ body pointed out, calling IndiGo’s crisis a “direct consequence” of its staffing decisions.

In fact, rival airlines like Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa have reported no major disruptions, highlighting that the issue is specific to IndiGo’s planning shortcomings.

IndiGo’s management, for its part, insists the chaos arose from a perfect storm of factors beyond just crew regulations. In public statements it has cited a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges” – including minor tech glitches, seasonal schedule adjustments, adverse winter weather, and air traffic congestion – compounding with the new crew rostering rules to throw its network off balance.

However, aviation experts note that these external pressures affected all airlines; it was IndiGo’s lack of buffer in pilot availability that turned the situation into a full-blown crisis. The airline’s own tagline “IndiGo Standard Time” – once a boast of strict punctuality – now rings hollow as flights run hours late or not at all.

How long will the disruptions last?

Passengers are asking the big question: when will IndiGo’s operations return to normal? Unfortunately, this meltdown won’t be fixed overnight. IndiGo has told regulators that full normalisation may only be achieved by February 10, 2026.

In fact, the airline is seeking temporary exemptions to the new pilot duty norms until Feb 10, 2026 – essentially requesting leeway on night-flight restrictions – in order to cope with the transition period. Regulators have not yet publicly granted such exemptions, but the plea underscores how long IndiGo expects it will take to train or hire enough crew to fully meet the stricter requirements.

In the short term, IndiGo warns it will continue cancelling flights for the next few days as it works to stabilize the schedule. The carrier said it is making “calibrated adjustments” and will temporarily trim its flight schedule from December 8 onward to reduce pressure on its overtaxed crews.

By proactively cutting some flights in advance, IndiGo hopes to avoid the ad-hoc last-minute cancellations that have characterized this week. The DGCA has ordered the airline to submit a detailed recovery plan and bi-weekly progress reports, and is conducting real-time monitoring of IndiGo’s operations.

Government officials are also watching that airfares don’t spike unfairly on alternate airlines during the disruption and that airports assist stranded passengers.

What this means is that IndiGo’s schedule disruptions could persist for several weeks, albeit gradually lessening in severity if the airline’s mitigation measures take effect.

The crisis coincides with India’s busy winter travel season (and an upcoming holiday rush), adding urgency to get things under control. IndiGo’s leadership has expressed confidence that with reduced flying hours, new pilot recruitment, and better rostering, they can restore punctuality – but the timeline extends into early 2026 to fully recover.

Travelers should not expect a quick fix; minor delays and targeted cancellations may continue as IndiGo recalibrates its operations in line with the safety rules.

What it means for travellers

For anyone flying to, from, or within India, IndiGo’s operational meltdown poses a serious potential disruption to travel plans. As India’s dominant airline – carrying about 60% of domestic air passengers – IndiGo’s troubles are rippling across the entire aviation network.

Even if you’re not booked on IndiGo, its woes can cause congestion and delays at major airports. Gate hold-ups, crowded check-in areas, and air traffic adjustments (due to so many IndiGo flights being delayed or cancelled) can spill over to affect other carriers’ operations. In short, this is one of the worst airline disruptions India has seen in years, and its effects are widely felt.

However, the greatest impact is on IndiGo’s own customers. Thousands have been stranded or forced to rebook, and those holding IndiGo tickets in the coming days should be on high alert.

If you are connecting through India (for example, flying into a hub like Delhi or Mumbai on one airline and then taking an IndiGo domestic flight, or vice versa), beware of tight connection times.

The chance of missed connections has spiked — IndiGo’s long delays and sudden cancellations could easily cause you to miss onward flights if you haven’t left a generous time buffer. International travelers planning domestic India legs or regional hops on IndiGo should consider contingency plans.

Travel industry analysts note that this situation highlights a broader point: operational resilience is crucial in aviation, and passengers ultimately bear the inconvenience when an airline stretches its resources too thin.

Until IndiGo gets a handle on its crew shortage, flexibility and vigilance will be key for travelers. The silver lining is that other Indian airlines are flying normally, so alternative options do exist if your IndiGo flight falls through.

FAQ

Q1. Why is IndiGo cancelling so many flights?
Because new pilot duty-time rules drastically reduced allowable night operations, exposing crew shortages IndiGo had not staffed for.

Q2. Why are other Indian airlines not affected?
Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa, and others prepared their staffing for the new rules. IndiGo maintained a lean pilot roster and a hiring freeze, leaving less flexibility.

Q3. How many flights are being cancelled per day?
Estimates range from about 175 to more than 550 daily cancellations during the height of the crisis.

Q4. What is IndiGo’s current on-time performance?
It fell to 19.7 percent on December 3, an unprecedented low for a carrier once known for punctuality.

Q5. How long will the disruption last?
IndiGo says full stabilization may take until February 10, 2026, although cancellations should gradually decrease before then.

Q6. Can IndiGo get temporary relief from the new regulations?
The airline has requested exemptions until February 2026, but regulators have not yet approved them.

Q7. How does this affect travelers connecting through India?
Tight connections are risky. Expect missed flights, rebookings, and delays at major hubs such as Delhi and Mumbai.

Q8. Are flight prices rising due to the disruption?
Authorities are monitoring fares to prevent price gouging as demand shifts to other airlines.

Q9. Should international travelers avoid IndiGo right now?
Travelers should monitor flights closely, build long layovers, and consider alternative carriers for time-sensitive itineraries.

Q10. What is IndiGo doing to fix the issue?
The airline is cutting schedules, recruiting new pilots, revising rosters, and must file biweekly recovery reports to the DGCA.