Explained: How IndiGo’s operational breakdown threw India’s air travel into chaos

About 90% Ops have returned to normal, GoI Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol says

New Delhi: India’s largest airline, IndiGo, triggered widespread disruption across the country’s aviation network in early December after an operational meltdown that led to hundreds of flight cancellations and long delays, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at major airports.

The crisis was described by several news organisations as one of the most serious disruptions in recent years.

At the heart of the chaos were new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms introduced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to improve pilot rest and safety. These rules, which came fully into effect on November 1, 2025, increased mandatory rest hours for crews and sharply limited night flying hours, directly affecting pilot availability for late-night and early-morning flights. IndiGo’s own rapid expansion and heavy reliance on night operations left it with very thin staffing buffers when the new rostering requirements took effect.

Industry data show that the airline cancelled more than 1,000 flights in a short span, accounting for a majority of domestic cancellations in November and early December, and stranding travellers at hubs including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

IndiGo acknowledged that the disruption was caused by a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges,” including schedule changes linked to winter travel, weather and airport congestion alongside the crew rostering revisions. The airline apologised and said it was adjusting schedules to restore stability.

Regulators responded by temporarily relaxing certain FDTL requirements to help the airline stabilise operations, while also summoning Indigo executives for explanations. Aviation experts said the crisis exposed the Indian aviation sector’s reliance on a single dominant carrier and the lack of spare capacity to absorb such shocks.