The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken “serious note" of the widespread operational disruptions and cancellations across IndiGo’s network over the past three days, with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu expressing “clear displeasure" over how the airline handled the situation despite ample preparation time.
On Friday, IndiGo cancelled over 700 flights across major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, and later announced that all domestic flights run by IndiGo from Delhi and Chennai airports had been cancelled till midnight. The minister has directed the airline to urgently restore normal operations.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu personally chaired a high-level review meeting with IndiGo’s senior management, joined by the Secretary of Civil Aviation, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), senior ministry officials and representatives from the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
At the meeting, IndiGo presented detailed data on cancellations and attributed the ongoing disruption to crew-planning challenges and complications arising from the implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, alongside weather-related issues. Officials noted that the new FDTL rules were rolled out in phases under court supervision to strengthen fatigue management and enhance flight safety.
He also instructed DGCA to closely monitor airfares to ensure that ticket prices do not rise because of the disruptions, emphasising that passengers must not be burdened by operational lapses.
The Minister also held a meeting with senior officers of AAI and directed that all airport directors must continuously monitor the situation on the ground and extend full support to all stranded passengers. He has instructed officials of MoCA to communicate the need for proper coordination among all stakeholders, including airports, ATC, and other airline, to restore normalcy at the earliest.
The DGCA has been directed to conduct strict real-time monitoring of IndiGo’s operations, including field inspections at major airports, with special emphasis on passenger-handling arrangements and timely communication during delays and cancellations. Officers have been deployed to IndiGo’s operational control centers for continuous oversight.
The Ministry remains fully committed to ensuring smooth air travel and to safeguarding passenger rights and safety. All aspects of IndiGo’s operational recovery and passenger support measures will continue to be closely monitored until full stability is achieved.
On Friday, IndiGo cancelled more than 589 flights nationwide, leaving passengers stranded for hours and airports dealing with heavy congestion. Delhi saw over 220 cancellations, Bengaluru more than 100, and Hyderabad over 90, with additional disruptions reported in several other cities. Kolkata Airport recorded dozens of cancellations and delays through Thursday, while Thiruvananthapuram also saw services impacted over three consecutive days.
In an advisory, Delhi Airport warned travellers of “operational challenges" and urged them to check flight status before arrival.
At a meeting with DGCA, IndiGo admitted that disruptions stemmed from “misjudgment and planning gaps" in implementing the updated FDTL rules. The airline informed the regulator that operations are expected to fully stabilise only by February 10, 2026, and sought temporary relaxations for A320 operations. DGCA noted a steep dip in IndiGo’s on-time performance, which fell to 19.7 per cent on Wednesday, and has deployed officers to operational control centres for real-time oversight. The regulator has also directed the airline to increase passenger-handling staff at affected terminals after finding manpower shortages at Delhi’s Terminal 1.
Pilot bodies have criticised the airline’s resource management, saying IndiGo “inexplicably" froze hiring despite knowing the new norms would require additional crew. They argue that the disruptions reflect internal staffing and planning issues rather than flaws in the FDTL framework, which is designed to enhance pilot safety by reducing fatigue.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers told employees that restoring punctuality “will not be an easy target" but assured that corrective measures are underway. The airline must now submit a detailed roadmap to DGCA outlining crew recruitment, rostering reforms, training plans, risk mitigation steps and fortnightly progress reports until operations stabilise.
