NEW DELHI, Dec 5: India’s largest airline, IndiGo, faced a near-operational collapse on Friday as widespread IndiGo flight cancellations crossed 400 in a single day, leaving passengers stranded at airports for up to three days. Severe rostering issues and an acute pilot shortage stemming from planning lapses have pushed disruptions into the fourth consecutive day.
Airports nationwide witnessed chaotic scenes, with delays stretching beyond 12 hours, passengers staging protests, and several travellers reporting misplaced baggage.
Passengers stranded overnight, some forced to deboard cancelled flights
A PTI staffer who booked a Delhi–Mumbai IndiGo flight scheduled for 8:30 pm on Thursday experienced a night long ordeal. Despite paying ₹25,000 for the ticket, she remained stuck at the airport as the airline repeatedly rescheduled the flight before cancelling it early Friday morning. Her checked-in baggage also went missing amid piles of unattended suitcases scattered across the terminal.
Another journalist reported that a flight scheduled to depart at 5:30 pm on Thursday eventually took off around 2 am on Friday after passengers protested over the prolonged delay.
Videos from Delhi Airport showed large crowds waiting for updates, with several passengers shouting for clarity about the disruptions. Some said they boarded a plane only to be deboarded later after the flight was cancelled. Many also complained of fares on the Mumbai–Delhi route shooting up to nearly ₹60,000 on Thursday.
Massive fall in On-Time Performance
IndiGo, which typically operates around 2,300 flights per day with a fleet of over 400 aircraft, has seen its on-time performance collapse.
OTP on Tuesday: 35%
OTP on Wednesday: 19.7%
The disruptions have had a compounding effect, with aircraft and crew out of position across the network.
IndiGo admits planning gaps; more cancellations expected
In a briefing to aviation regulator DGCA, IndiGo acknowledged that the crisis stems from “misjudgment and planning gaps” in implementing Phase 2 of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. The airline warned that cancellations will continue until December 8, followed by a scheduled reduction in services.
The carrier has sought temporary relaxations in FDTL norms and said full operational stability may only return by February 10, 2026.
Government expresses strong displeasure
At a high-level review meeting, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu expressed dissatisfaction over IndiGo’s handling of the FDTL rollout, noting that the airline had sufficient time to prepare for the regulatory changes.
Authorities continue to closely monitor the situation as passenger grievances pile up across the country.