New Delhi, December 4, 2025 – India's largest airline, IndiGo, which commands over 60% of the domestic market, faced severe operational disruption this week as more than 70 flights were cancelled on Wednesday alone, with hundreds more delayed across the country. The chaos, which escalated sharply from Tuesday, has been attributed primarily to acute crew shortages triggered by the implementation of stricter Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, compounded by airport congestion and minor technical issues.
The second phase of India’s revised FDTL regulations came into effect on November 1, 2025. These rules, introduced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to enhance flight safety and reduce pilot fatigue, mandate a minimum 48-hour weekly rest period (up from 36 hours), extend the definition of night duty hours, and restrict pilots to only two night landings per duty period, down from six previously. For IndiGo, which operates one of the densest schedules in the world with over 2,200 daily flights and relies heavily on night operations to maximize aircraft utilization, the transition has proven disruptive.
An IndiGo spokesperson confirmed the cancellations and delays, stating that the airline had experienced “several unavoidable flight delays and some cancellations in the past few days due to various reasons including technology issues, airport congestion, and operational requirements.” The airline announced it would make “calibrated schedule adjustments,” including proactive cancellations, for at least the next 48 hours to stabilize operations.
However, sources within the industry told the Press Trust of India that the core issue remains a severe shortage of flight crew. The new FDTL rules have forced significant roster restructuring, and many pilots have reportedly taken extended leave or become unavailable due to mandatory rest requirements. The situation worsened dramatically on Tuesday and reached critical levels on Wednesday, with cancellations reported from major hubs including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata.
According to data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, IndiGo’s on-time performance (OTP) at six major Indian airports plummeted to just 35% on Tuesday, December 2—the lowest among all scheduled carriers. In comparison, SpiceJet recorded 82.5%, Akasa Air 73.2%, and Air India 67.2%. For the entire month of November, IndiGo’s overall OTP fell to 67.7%, a sharp decline from 84.1% in October.
The airline operated 366 of its 416 aircraft as of early December, with 50 grounded for various reasons including scheduled maintenance and delays in returning leased aircraft from overseas storage. In November alone, IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights, of which over 61% (755) were directly linked to crew unavailability caused by the new FDTL norms.
Passengers faced long delays, abrupt cancellations, and poor ground handling, leading to widespread frustration. Social media platforms were flooded with complaints about lack of communication, inadequate assistance at airports, and difficulties in obtaining refunds or rebookings. At Mumbai, 33 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Wednesday; Bengaluru saw 42 departures scrubbed, while Delhi reported 38 cancellations by afternoon.
The DGCA has initiated a formal investigation into the disruptions and summoned IndiGo’s senior executives for an explanation. The regulator has demanded a detailed action plan, including measures to improve crew rostering, enhance coordination with air traffic control, and strengthen passenger facilitation during irregularities.
Pilot unions have rejected any suggestion that the FDTL norms themselves are flawed, instead pointing to IndiGo’s historically lean manpower strategy—characterized by minimal buffer crew and slower hiring—as the primary reason for the crisis. They argue that the airline expanded its winter schedule aggressively (adding nearly 900 weekly flights) without adequately scaling its pilot strength.
Industry experts note that while the current turmoil is painful, the stricter duty limitations align India with global safety standards and are necessary in a country where pilot fatigue has been a growing concern. IndiGo has reportedly accelerated pilot recruitment and training programs, but integrating new crew into operations typically takes several months.
As India’s domestic air traffic continues its strong post-pandemic recovery—with November passenger numbers up 12% year-on-year—the IndiGo episode highlights the growing pains of one of the world’s fastest-expanding aviation markets. For now, the airline has urged passengers to check flight status regularly and promised full refunds or free rescheduling for affected bookings.
Travelers planning critical journeys in the coming days are advised to consider alternate carriers or build extra buffer time until IndiGo restores schedule reliability.
