India, Dec 05 : Flight disruptions continued to ripple across India on Friday, with Pune and Thiruvananthapuram emerging as the latest hotspots of operational strain for IndiGo. Between midnight and 8 am on December 5, Pune airport reported 16 cancelled arrivals and 16 cancelled departures, while one Nagpur–Pune flight was diverted to Hyderabad, airport director Santosh Dhoke confirmed.
Simultaneously, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport saw two cancelled arrivals, two cancelled departures, and delays impacting three incoming and three outgoing IndiGo flights, the airport PRO said. The fresh setbacks underscore a wider operational crunch that continues to hit India’s largest airline.
Wave of cancellations nationwide
The new disruptions come as IndiGo grapples with a surge of cancellations across the country. By Thursday night, the airline informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it had cancelled 1,232 flights in November, blaming a severe crew shortage as the biggest factor. Of these, 755 services were scrapped because crew could not be rostered without breaching Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
DGCA steps in as crisis grows
The DGCA said it is examining IndiGo’s explanation and working with the airline to reduce passenger inconvenience. The regulator has also summoned IndiGo’s top leadership, seeking clarity on how the situation escalated and what corrective measures are being implemented.
IndiGo, meanwhile, told the regulator that many factors were beyond its immediate control. These included 258 flights affected by airspace restrictions, 92 impacted by ATC system issues, and a significant drop in on time performance from 84.1% in October to 67.7% in November.
Following the surge in cancellations, DGCA issued further guidance on applying revised FDTL norms. IndiGo has committed to tighter crew planning, improved rostering, and better coordination with ATC and airport authorities.
Passengers face long delays, queues and frustration
Travelers at major airports Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru have faced severe delays since Wednesday. Long queues, repeated rescheduling and abrupt cancellations triggered widespread frustration, with thousands of passengers forced to rebook or wait for updated flight plans.
IndiGo issued a public apology, acknowledging “significant disruption across the network” over the past two days. The airline cited a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges,” ranging from technology glitches and winter schedule adjustments to weather, congestion, and the impact of revised FDTL rules.
Airline expects stability in 48 hours
To stabilise operations, IndiGo said it has implemented calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours, which it believes will help restore punctuality. Airport teams have been deployed to assist travellers, process refunds, and arrange rebooking.
The airline has advised passengers to check real time updates before heading to the airport.
“Please check the latest flight status before travelling,” IndiGo said, directing users to its official flight status portal.