IndiGo Airlines, India’s largest carrier, has suspended all domestic departures from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport until midnight on 5 December 2025, impacting over 200 flights and thousands of passengers amid a prolonged crisis driven by acute crew shortages, stringent new flight duty time limitations (FDTL), technical glitches, and operational strains.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) issued the stark advisory at around 11am, noting normal operations by other airlines while their staff aids stranded travellers; the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) oversees the probe into over 1,200 disruptions since late November, with IndiGo forecasting full recovery only by 10 February 2026 after voluntarily scaling back from 8 December cancellations also grip Chennai until 6pm, Bengaluru (over 100 axed), Hyderabad (90+), Mumbai, and Pune, fuelling passenger fury over 12-hour delays, lost luggage, and surging fares.
IndiGo expresses regret, pinning blame on “unforeseen compounding challenges,” as protests erupt at terminals and regulators demand swift fixes.
Scale of Passenger Plight and Statistics
The fallout has been staggering, with IndiGo axing or delaying over 500 flights on 5 December alone, pushing the month’s total disruptions past 1,232 largely from FDTL rules slashing pilot night duties and crew rostering misfires that dropped the airline’s on-time performance to a dismal 35 per cent, the lowest among peers.
Delhi bore the brunt with 220-plus cancellations blending departures and arrivals, transforming bustling terminals into scenes of despair: long queues snaking through departure halls, families with children slumped on floors amid misplaced baggage, and heated exchanges with ground staff.
In Bengaluru, 73 flights vanished on 4 December, while Chennai joined the fray today; passengers like Mumbai-bound professional Rajesh Kumar shared on social media how a 7am flight stretched into evening limbo, costing precious work hours.
DIAL affirmed: “Our dedicated on-ground teams are working diligently with all partners to mitigate the disruption and ensure a comfortable passenger experience,” yet reports highlight frayed tempers and calls for refunds.
Crisis Origins, Official Reactions, and Path Forward
This turmoil traces back to late November, ignited by a perfect storm: system outages hobbling scheduling, winter timetable shifts clashing with fog and congestion at key airports, aggressive crew poaching by rivals like Emirates offering fat bonuses, and DGCA’s tightened FDTL norms from 1 November that cap night flying hours to combat fatigue prompting IndiGo to ground planes rather than risk violations.
The airline sought exemptions for its A320 fleet in a high-level DGCA huddle, where executives vowed operational normalcy by 10 February and tendered a detailed mitigation blueprint; sources whisper nearly 400 more cuts loom today, the fourth straight day of pain.
DGCA’s terse update flagged “planning deficiencies and miscalculations,” launching a formal inquiry, while an IndiGo voice lamented: “A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges… had a negative compounding impact,” underscoring apologies laced with promises of hiring sprees and tech upgrades.
Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu even raised the red flag in Parliament, demanding accountability as fares skyrocketed 20-50 per cent on alternate routes.
Background Disruptions and Broader Ripple Effects
IndiGo’s woes echo a string of aviation headaches this season, from 38 Delhi cancellations on 3 December blamed on “technical glitches and operational issues” to nationwide scrubs hitting 200 flights earlier, all amid a pilot deficit exacerbated by global talent wars and post-pandemic travel booms.
The carrier, commanding 60 per cent domestic market share, scaled down from 8 December to recalibrate, eyeing stability by February, but critics decry repeated lapses despite warnings last month’s 550 daily cancellations set the stage for this week’s crescendo.
Beyond flyers, the chaos ripples to cargo hauls, small businesses missing deadlines, and medical evacuations derailed, amplifying economic dents in a sector vital to India’s growth story.
IndiGo’s response includes helplines, rebooking waivers, and meals for waits over four hours, yet stranded souls at Hyderabad and Pune recount 10-hour vigils without basics, humanising the ledger lines into tales of quiet endurance.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Such relentless disruptions lay bare a pressing call for airlines to weave passenger empathy into their core operations, swapping reactive apologies for proactive safeguards like robust crew buffers and crystal-clear communication that honours the human cost families torn from festivities, workers robbed of livelihoods, all demanding harmony over haste in our shared skies.
Regulators and carriers must forge dialogue-driven alliances, enforcing safety sans rigidity while nurturing kindness through swift aid and transparent timelines, paving paths for positive change in an industry touching millions.
