Airport Chaos and Soaring Airfares: Nearly 300 IndiGo Flights Cancelled As Operational Crisis Enters Day 5
Airport Chaos and Soaring Airfares: Nearly 300 IndiGo Flights Cancelled As Operational Crisis Enters Day 5
DGCA sets up four-member panel as disruptions trigger airport chaos and soaring airfares.
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, remained in deep operational turmoil on Saturday, with nearly 300 domestic flights cancelled across major airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune. The disruptions, which have continued for five consecutive days, left passengers waiting for hours amid rising confusion, misplaced baggage and soaring ticket prices on alternate routes.
In Delhi and Mumbai, 86 flights each were cancelled through the day. Hyderabad recorded 66 cancellations, while Pune saw 42 flights grounded. Several other airports reported delays and last-minute schedule changes. Thiruvananthapuram recorded six cancellations, and Ahmedabad saw seven arrivals and 12 departures cancelled between midnight and 6 am on December 6.
The airline described the situation as the result of a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges.” A significant portion of the disruption stems from the rollout of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), rules designed to ensure adequate rest for pilots and crew members. As these limits took effect just as IndiGo expanded its winter schedule from October 26, a large number of pilots became unavailable simultaneously, triggering cascading cancellations.
In a video message to customers, the airline’s CEO said the number of cancellations on Saturday was expected to remain below 1,000, a reference to Friday’s record disruption in which cancellations had crossed four figures. Airports across the country saw long queues as passengers searched for updates and struggled to retrieve baggage from earlier flights.
14 arrivals and 28 departures of IndiGo cancelled at Pune Airport on 6.12.2025 pic.twitter.com/3ZIOR9w7qY
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2025
The crisis has also pushed airfare levels sharply higher on several domestic routes. A one-stop economy ticket from Kolkata to Mumbai on December 6 was listed at nearly ₹90,000 on another airline, while a Mumbai–Bhubaneswar economy ticket was priced at over ₹84,000. Similar spikes were seen on routes connecting major metros.
To stabilise operations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) temporarily placed its FDTL orders in abeyance on Friday, allowing the airline greater flexibility in rostering. The regulator also extended additional operational exemptions to help IndiGo make more pilots available for duty. At the same time, a four-member DGCA panel has been formed to investigate the sequence of events and identify systemic gaps. The regulator noted that the ongoing disruptions point to possible lapses in internal oversight, operational readiness and compliance planning, and “warrant an independent examination.”
While the airline works to restore its schedule, airport operators have advised passengers to check flight status before travelling and to expect delays in baggage handling and rebooking services. The situation remains fluid, with the next 48 hours expected to be critical in determining whether operations will return to normal.
