India’s aviation regulator DGCA has cut IndiGo’s daily flights by 5% after a major schedule crisis caused by crew shortages, new duty rules, winter changes and rising cancellations. At 2,300 daily flights, IndiGo must remove 115 flights.
India's biggest airline IndiGo is facing strong action from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after a major flight disruption that continued for days. The regulator has now ordered a 5% cut in IndiGo's daily flights.
IndiGo usually operates about 2,300 flights a day, which means 115 flights must be removed from its schedule. Officials said the airline has already been informed and the routes will be chosen carefully so that passengers do not lose important connections.
Sources added that the DGCA may also order another 5% reduction in the coming days depending on how well IndiGo manages to run its flights on time and without cancellations, according to a report in The Times of India.
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Why IndiGo is facing action
The trouble began soon after new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) rules came into effect on 1 November 2025. These rules increase the number of pilots needed for operations. According to aviation officials, IndiGo did not prepare enough for this change.
At the same time, the airline increased its daily domestic flights by 6% for the winter schedule starting October 26, rising from 14,158 weekly flights in summer to 15,014 weekly flights in winter. This created a mismatch between the number of flights and the available crew.
What began as modest cancellations in November quickly grew into a large-scale crisis in the first week of December, with hundreds of flights cancelled every day.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu told Parliament that 'very, very strict action' will be taken and said the situation 'will set an example' for other airlines.
On Monday, the Aviation Minister told the Rajya Sabha that IndiGo's troubles were mainly caused by the airline's own internal crew rostering and operational planning. He clarified that the problems were not linked to the Aircraft Maintenance and Scheduling System (AMSS).
He also said the government had held detailed discussions with all stakeholders about the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) guidelines, and stressed that safety rules would not be relaxed.
The minister reminded the House that strict Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) are already in place to protect passengers affected by delays or cancellations.
Other airlines had reduced schedules
While IndiGo added more flights, several other airlines had reduced their winter schedules:
- Air India: 0.8% reduction
- Air India Express: 6% reduction
- Akasa Air: 5.7% reduction (from 1,089 to 1,027 weekly flights)
- India’s second-largest airline group: 3% reduction, from 7,685 weekly flights in summer to 7,448 in winter
- SpiceJet: increase of over 26%, from 1,240 to 1,568 weekly flights as the airline continues to rebuild
These numbers have led to questions about why authorities allowed IndiGo to grow its winter schedule without checking whether it had enough pilots under the new FDTL rules.
DGCA puts FDTL rules on hold for IndiGo A320 fleet
Due to the crew shortage and operational stress, the DGCA has now paused the FDTL Phase II rules for IndiGo's Airbus A320 fleet until 10 February 2026. This pause is meant to help the airline stabilise its operations and prevent further large-scale cancellations.
What IndiGo says caused the crisis
IndiGo has said that the disruption was caused by a 'compounding effect of multiple factors'. The airline said these issues came together at the same time in an 'unfortunate and unforeseeable confluence'. The reasons listed by IndiGo include:
- Minor technical problems in aircraft
- Schedule changes linked to the start of the winter season
- Congested air traffic during bad weather
- Challenges in adjusting to the updated FDTL Phase II crew rostering norms
The airline says it is working to restore normal operations as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have been monitoring all major airports in real time since 3 December. This extra monitoring began after IndiGo’s operations were badly disrupted, causing widespread delays and cancellations. If there is no improvement, another 5% cut may be ordered. Meanwhile, the aviation ministry has said it will ensure accountability and that the situation is not repeated.
A statement from the office of Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that a high-level review meeting was held with senior officials to understand the full impact of the situation.
Senior officials asked to visit airports
The Ministry has directed all senior officials to visit airports across the country. Their job is to check how airlines are operating and whether passengers are receiving proper support. Any problems they find, including issues raised by passengers, must be fixed immediately.
DGCA's show-cause notices to IndiGo leaders
On 6 December, the DGCA issued show-cause notices to IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer, Pieter Elbers, and Chief Operating Officer, Isidro Porqueras. A rating agency noted that this action could raise questions about the continuation of IndiGo’s current senior leadership.
IndiGo's operational model normally helps the airline keep costs low. However, the recent changes in regulations showed that the airline was not prepared to handle sudden adjustments.
On 5 December alone, IndiGo cancelled about 1,600 flights, revealing a sharp lack of resilience in its planning.
The airline's on-time performance fell to 68% in November, down from 84% in October. More than 1,200 flights were cancelled during November.
IndiGo says operations now improving: Full network restored, flights stabilise with 91% on time
On Monday, IndiGo announced that its operations have stabilised after days of major disruptions, with the airline now operating more than 1,800 flights across its full network and recording a 91% on-time performance. IndiGo said it has optimised schedules to keep cancellations low, with all affected passengers informed in advance.
The airline’s punctuality improved sharply from about 75% last week to around 90% on Monday, while flights increased from roughly 1,650 to over 1,800. IndiGo said it is continuing to support passengers, having processed Rs 827 crore in refunds for flights cancelled up to 15 December 2025. Between 1 and 7 December, it arranged over 9,500 hotel rooms and nearly 10,000 cabs and buses for stranded travellers.
More than 4,500 delayed bags have been returned, with the rest expected within 36 hours. The airline said around two lakh customers are being assisted daily and reassured that all operations remain fully compliant with FDTL and safety rules.
(With ANI inputs)
