The last few days have seen India's largest airline, IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation), gripped by one of its worst operational crises, resulting in the cancellation and delay of over a thousand flights nationwide.

The Scale of the Disruption

• Mass Cancellations: Since late November and peaking on Thursday and Friday, IndiGo has cancelled or significantly delayed hundreds of flights daily. On Friday, December 5, 2025, the airline recorded its highest number of disruptions, with some reports suggesting over 1,000 cancellations/disruptions.
• Worst-Hit Hubs: Operations were severely curtailed at major metropolitan airports:
• Delhi: All domestic IndiGo departures were cancelled until midnight on December 5.
• Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai also experienced widespread cancellations and chaos.
• Passenger Impact: The chaos has left thousands of passengers stranded, leading to crowded terminals, protests, and significant emotional distress. The airline's on-time performance (OTP) nosedived to as low as 8.5% on December 4.

The Root Cause: DGCA's FDTL Rules.

The primary driver of the crisis is the second phase of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and implemented from November 1, 2025

• The New Norms: The rules are designed to enhance flight safety by reducing pilot fatigue, mandating.
• An increase in mandatory weekly rest to 48 hours.
• Extended 'night duty' hours (shifting the start of the rest period).
• A significant reduction in the allowed night landings per pilot per week (down from six to two).
• IndiGo's Failure: IndiGo, a low-cost carrier (LCC) with high-frequency, fast-turnaround operations, many of which operate at night, was hit hardest. The airline has admitted to "misjudgment and planning gaps" in anticipating the crew strength needed to comply, resulting in an acute pilot and crew shortage.

Government & Regulator Intervention

The severity of the crisis prompted immediate action from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the DGCA.

• Temporary Relaxation of FDTL: The government has temporarily put some of the new FDTL rules in abeyance (on hold) to allow IndiGo to stabilise operations without compromising safety.
• High-Level Inquiry: The DGCA has ordered a high-level, four-member committee to conduct a comprehensive probe into the circumstances, determine accountability for the "deficiencies in internal oversight," and submit a report within 15 days.
• Fare Monitoring: The DGCA has also been directed to closely monitor airfares amid reports of other airlines tripling and quadrupling prices due to the capacity crunch.

IndiGo's Mitigation and Timelines

IndiGo's leadership has communicated a recovery plan to both the regulator and the public.

• Immediate Strategy: The airline is making "calibrated adjustments" to its schedules and making proactive cancellations to ensure crew rosters align with the new rest requirements and prevent further last-minute chaos.
• CEO's Timeline: CEO Pieter Elbers issued an apology, stating:
• Saturday (Dec 6) cancellations are expected to be below 1,000.
• Full operational recovery is expected between December 10 and 15, 2025.
• Long-Term Plan: IndiGo informed the DGCA it will reduce flight operations from December 8 and assured that full operational stability will be restored by February 10, 2026.

Passenger Support & Refund Policies.

IndiGo and the government have detailed measures to assist affected customers.

• Automatic Full Refunds: For all cancelled flights, full refunds will be processed automatically to the original mode of payment.
• Waiver for Changes: A full waiver on all cancellation/reschedule requests is being offered for bookings for travel between December 5 and December 15, 2025.
• "Plan B" Option: Affected passengers can use IndiGo's "Plan B" facility to rebook their flight or cancel for a full refund at no extra cost.
• Mandatory Care: Airlines have been directed to provide meals, refreshments, and hotel accommodation for stranded passengers affected by prolonged delays.

Pilot Union Perspective.

Pilot associations have weighed in, blaming the crisis on the airline's long-term strategy.

• Failure of Planning: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) alleged that IndiGo had nearly two years to prepare for the new FDTL rules but adopted a "prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy" and a hiring freeze, leading to the current crisis.
• Demand to DGCA: The FIP has urged the DGCA not to grant temporary FDTL relaxations or approve future seasonal schedules unless the airline demonstrates it has adequate staff.

What Passengers Should Do Now.

Given the dynamic situation, all travellers are strongly advised:

• Do not go to the airport unless you have checked your flight status immediately before leaving.
• Use the IndiGo website, app, or their AI assistant Eskai for the latest status, rebooking, or refund processing.
• Stranded passengers can claim compensation according to DGCA Passenger Charter rules through the AirSewa portal.

This is the current state of the IndiGo crisis as of December 6, 2025.

You can learn and know more about the challenges IndiGo faced in implementing the new rules in this video: National Aviation Emergency: Why IndiGo Was Worst-Hit After New FDTL Kicked In?.

Happy Questing!

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