Airports across India are witnessing escalating chaos as IndiGo struggles to keep flights running amid massive cancellations, leaving passengers stranded for hours. Over the past four days, more than 1,000 flights have been cancelled, affecting major hubs including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Long queues, frayed tempers, and anxious travelers have become the norm.
IndiGo attributed the disruption to a mix of operational challenges, including minor technical glitches, winter schedule adjustments, congestion, and weather. However, aviation insiders point to the implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), new crew rest rules aimed at preventing pilot fatigue, as the main factor.
The FDTL rules, enforced now though introduced in January 2024, require 48 hours of weekly rest, limit night flying to eight hours, and restrict night landings to two per week per pilot. These regulations forced many pilots into compulsory rest just as IndiGo expanded its winter schedule on October 26, leading to cascading delays and cancellations, further aggravated by Airbus A320 software advisories over weekends.
IndiGo operates over 2,200 flights daily, nearly double that of Air India, making even minor disruptions affect hundreds of flights. On a single day, Delhi saw 135 departures and 90 arrivals cancelled, Bengaluru reported 52 arrivals and 50 departures scrapped, and Hyderabad recorded 92 cancellations.
In response, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) relaxed a key FDTL provision, allowing weekly rest leave to substitute for compulsory time off. The move, effective immediately, is expected to ease crew availability and help the airline restart flights. This marks the first rollback of FDTL clauses since enforcement began, acknowledging the airline industry’s unpreparedness for the transition.
Pilot unions have blamed IndiGo management for inadequate staffing, citing a prolonged hiring freeze, lean manpower strategies, pay freezes, and failure to factor new rest norms into schedules. Some experts also speculate the disruptions could be a pressure tactic to obtain regulatory relaxations, though pilots caution this could compromise safety.
Passengers continue to face long delays and lack basic facilities. On-time performance dropped to 19.7% on Wednesday, a sharp decline from IndiGo’s usual reliability.
IndiGo has requested time until February 10, 2026, to fully stabilise operations and has begun cutting flights over the coming days to manage the crisis. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has set up a 24-hour control room to assist affected passengers. Travelers can contact the helpline at 011-24610843, 011-24693963, or 096503-91859 for real-time support and information.
Officials expect flight schedules to return to normal by Saturday, with revised duty norms kept in abeyance while additional stabilisation measures are implemented. Full restoration of operations is targeted for February 10, 2026, though temporary cancellations are likely as the airline works to regain control.
