Why IndiGo has delayed, cancelled hundreds of flights

Major airports across the country descended into turmoil as IndiGo’s flight delays and cancellations continued to mount for the fourth consecutive day. With several hundred flights either delayed or cancelled, passengers have been left scrambling. Even as the airline issued an apology to customers and stakeholders, saying it “remains focused on streamlining its operations at the earliest,” over 400 IndiGo flights were reportedly cancelled on Friday (December 5, 2025) across several airports. On Thursday, the airline’s on-time performance at six metro airports dropped to 8.5%.  

What is causing the flight delays/cancellations?

Issuing several statements over the past few days, IndiGo has blamed several factors for the mass delays and cancellations. On Wednesday, the airline said “minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (FDTL) had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated.”

Stranded passengers search for their luggage near a counter after IndiGo cancelled more than 400 flights, at the Kempegowda International Airport, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on December 5, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

This crisis though, was weeks in the making. As reported by The Hindu earlier, the airline’s skewed pilot planning and rostering, triggered by the full implementation of the stricter rest and duty norms from November 1, has led to ongoing travel chaos.

The new norms for pilot rest and duty hours — Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) — framed to combat concerns over mounting fatigue, against which airlines waged a two-year-long battle, were to be implemented in two phases as per a Delhi High Court order in April 2025. While a large number of provisions, including raising of weekly rest hours from 36 to 48 hours, were rolled out from July 1, the remaining provisions restricting the utilisation of pilots during night hours were to be implemented from November 1. The government had allowed airlines this additional time to help plan their crew requirement as they had warned of widespread flight cancellations.

“It is since the implementation of the latter that the airline has been grappling with shortages and making requests to pilots to cancel their leaves. But a brewing unrest for past many years means pilots are in no mood to co-operate. Being pushed to the upper limit of 13 hours of duty period allowed under DGCA norms, no salary hikes despite profits to the tune of ₹7,000 crore being posted by the airline, combined with the latest furore over the airline twisting the meaning of the new norms on pilot duty hours to its advantage. had angered them deeply,” The Hindu’s Jagriti Chandra had reported.

In a meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and Faiz Kidwai, head of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), top IndiGo officials on Thursday (December 4), blamed “misjudgement and planning gaps” for the current situation. Further in a letter to his employees, IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers explained that “given the size, scale and complexity of our network, these disruptions grow large immediately and require interventions on multiple levels”, which was being done.

When will normal operations resume?

The airline on Thursday had informed Civil Aviation Minister, and the DGCA Chief that it would curtail flights from December 8 to minimise flight disruptions, and delays and cancellations will continue for the next two to three days.

IndiGo has also sought exemption from implementing the norms on reduced night flying hours until February 10. The regulator has said it will review this demand from the airline.