Airports across India were thrown into chaos as IndiGo’s delays and cancellations stretched into a fourth straight day. Hundreds of flights have been disrupted, leaving passengers stuck in terminals and desperately trying to rebook. On Friday alone, more than 400 IndiGo flights were cancelled. A day earlier, the airline’s on time performance at major metro airports fell to just 8.5 per cent. IndiGo issued an apology, saying it was “focused on streamlining operations at the earliest.”
The airline said the crisis was caused by technology glitches, winter schedule changes, bad weather, heavy congestion and new rules on pilot duty hours. But the problem had been building for weeks. With stricter Flight Duty Time Limitations coming fully into effect from November 1, IndiGo struggled with pilot shortages and poor rostering. The rules were introduced to fight pilot fatigue. They increased mandatory weekly rest hours and restricted night duty. Airlines were warned earlier this year that failing to plan could lead to mass cancellations.
Pilots, already unhappy over long duty hours and no salary hikes despite high company profits, have refused to cancel their leaves. A senior pilot had earlier said they were being pushed to the edge of their allowed duty hours. This growing frustration meant the airline had little room to adjust when the new rules began.
On Thursday, IndiGo officials met Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and DGCA chief Faiz Kidwai. The airline admitted to “misjudgement and planning gaps.” CEO Pieter Elbers told staff that with IndiGo’s huge network, “disruptions grow large immediately” and need action at many levels.
IndiGo has told the government it will cut down flights from December 8 to reduce chaos. It said delays and cancellations will continue for two or three more days. The airline has also asked to be exempted from reduced night flying limits until February 10, a request the DGCA is now reviewing.
As passengers grew angrier, IndiGo issued another statement saying it was “truly sorry” and would offer full refunds, alternative flights, hotel stays and meals wherever needed.
The DGCA appealed to all pilot associations to cooperate, warning that fog, holiday travel and the wedding season could make delays even worse. The regulator said safety must be protected but smooth operations were also essential during this busy time. “Your support is indispensable,” it said in a public message to pilots.
The appeal came soon after pilot union ALPA India criticised the DGCA for giving what it called “selective and unsafe” relaxations to IndiGo. The group said allowing different safety rules for different airlines puts passengers at risk. The DGCA then rolled back a key rule that had prevented airlines from counting leave as weekly rest. This rule had increased pressure on crew scheduling and had hit IndiGo the most.
With IndiGo operating more than sixty per cent of India’s domestic flights, the cancellations have disrupted the entire air travel system. Over seven hundred flights were cancelled on Friday alone. Airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad witnessed long lines and passengers struggling to find alternatives.
Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram called the situation a “national crisis” and demanded that the Aviation Minister address Parliament about what went wrong.
Amid the anger and confusion at airports, a video went viral in which a frustrated passenger demanded a sanitary pad for his daughter. Many stranded travellers said they were not provided with basic facilities during long delays, adding to the sense of helplessness and frustration.
