New Delhi — IndiGo reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Wednesday that it cancelled 1,232 flights over recent days, with crew shortages emerging as the primary cause behind the disruptions.
According to the airline, 755 flights were scrapped due to staffing constraints tied to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations. Another 258 flights were affected by airspace restrictions, while 92 were impacted by air traffic control system failures.
The DGCA said it has begun investigating the situation and is working with the carrier to reduce the volume of cancellations and delays. The regulator has summoned IndiGo officials to its headquarters to explain the circumstances that led to the operational breakdown and to outline corrective steps.
“A large share of cancellations arose from crew/FDTL compliance and airport, airspace, and ATC-related factors, many of which lie beyond the operator’s direct control,” IndiGo told the DGCA.
The airline also reported a sharp fall in its on-time performance, which dropped to 67.7 percent in November from 84.1 percent in October.
The DGCA said it has issued additional guidance to help IndiGo streamline implementation of revised FDTL norms. The agency added that the airline is strengthening crew planning and rostering, coordinating more closely with airports and ATC, and improving turnaround and disruption-management processes.
Travellers were advised to monitor flight status through official channels before leaving for the airport.
Operations across major hubs — including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru — were severely affected on Wednesday, with widespread cancellations tied largely to crew shortages. While there were disruptions on Tuesday, the situation worsened significantly the following day.
IndiGo acknowledged the extent of the disruption in a public statement. “We acknowledge that IndiGo’s operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused,” the airline said.
The carrier cited a combination of unforeseen operational challenges, such as minor technology issues, winter-season schedule adjustments, adverse weather, congestion in the aviation system, and the rollout of updated FDTL rules. Together, these factors created a compounding effect the airline said it could not have anticipated.
To stabilise its network, IndiGo said it has implemented calibrated schedule adjustments that will remain in place for the next 48 hours to help restore punctuality. The airline noted that its teams are working continuously to assist affected passengers and normalise operations. Customers are being offered alternative travel arrangements or refunds where applicable.
Passengers were urged to check their flight status at the IndiGo website before heading to the airport. (Source: IANS)
