New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is grappling with a cascading operational crisis that has forced the cancellation of more than 1,500 flights a day since Tuesday, as staffing shortages collide with newly imposed crew regulations.
The disruptions have left passengers across major hubs, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata, confronting hours-long delays and sharply rising fares.
Amid mounting frustration, sources said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has summoned IndiGo’s senior leadership to account for the turmoil and present a plan to stabilise operations.
As a result of the fewer numbers of flight connecting domestic routes, fares have shot up to 4-5 times normal rates.
The cheapest non-Indigo economy class flights to Mumbai from Delhi for Sunday was selling for over Rs 22,000, while Indigo whose flights were grappling with delays and cancellations were selling at the lower end for over Rs 14,000.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday accepted Indigo’s request for relaxation in rules related to pilot night duty after a large number of the airline’s domestic flights were cancelled.
In the approval issued by the DGCA on Friday, it stated that Indigo has been granted exemption from two provisions of the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) until February 10, 2026.
Airlines argued that the sudden change, introduced during the peak winter schedule, exacerbated existing crew shortages and destabilised rosters nationwide.
IndiGo was the worst affected, with over 750 flights cancelled on Friday, following more than 550 cancellations on Thursday.
The disruption entered its third consecutive day, forcing IndiGo airline to suspend all 235 domestic departures from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport until 11:59 pm on Friday.
For Indigo, night duty will now be considered from 12 midnight to 5 am until February 10. Under existing rules, night duty is defined as from 12 midnight to 6 am. UNI JRC AAB
Indigo continues to grapple with cancellations, delays
