IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologised for 1,200+ flight cancellations since November, peaking at 550 on Dec 4 and 400+ on Dec 5, stranding lakhs at Delhi, Mumbai hubs amid crew shortages and new duty rules; DGCA probes as airline cuts ops.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a public apology on Thursday in a viral internal email for over 1,200 flight disruptions since late November, escalating to 550 cancellations on December 4 and over 400 on December 5 at hubs like Delhi (200+), Mumbai (85+), Bengaluru (73), and Hyderabad (68+), stranding lakhs amid crew shortages from new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), tech glitches, weather, and congestion.
Passengers endured 10-hour delays, lost bags, and no food; IndiGo admitted planning gaps, plans cuts from December 8, seeks FDTL exemptions till February 10, 2026; DGCA probes and mandates better support, with shares down 3.4%.
Chaos Unfolds at Airports
IndiGo, India’s largest airline serving 380,000 passengers daily with 60% market share, faced its worst meltdown in recent memory, cancelling 1,232 flights in November alone 62% due to crew constraints and over 1,000 more in early December.
On December 4, 550 flights vanished, including 191 from Delhi, 118 from Mumbai, 100 from Bengaluru, and 75 from Hyderabad, slashing on-time performance to 35% at six major airports; Friday saw 400+ more axed, sparking fury on social media.
Passengers like stranded families in Delhi’s Terminal 1 queued for hours without meals or updates, some waiting 12 hours for luggage amid tempers flaring at counters.
Elbers’ email, leaked online, candidly stated: “We serve close to 380,000 customers a day and want each of them to have a good experience. We could not live up to that promise these past days,” praising pilots, cabin crew, and ground staff for battling the crisis.
IndiGo publicly echoed: “We extend a heartfelt apology to all our customers and industry stakeholders,” as complaints surged and fares spiked during peak season.
Root Causes and Planning Shortfalls
The crisis traces to Phase 2 FDTL rules effective November 1, mandating more pilot rest and curbing night duties (midnight-6am, max two landings), hiking crew needs from 2,357 captains in December against November’s 2,422 requirement.
IndiGo confessed to DGCA: “Misjudgment and planning gaps in implementing Phase 2… actual crew requirement exceeded expectations,” compounded by winter schedules, ATC delays, airport curbs, minor tech snags at Delhi and Pune, fog, and congestion.
November punctuality plunged to 67.7% from October’s 84.1%, with 755 cancellations tied to FDTL.
A high-level DGCA meeting on December 4 grilled IndiGo’s brass, who assured corrective actions like urgent hiring and roster tweaks; the regulator noted “unprecedented disruptions” in peak travel with five lakh daily domestic flyers.
Shares tumbled 6% weekly, eroding the punctuality reputation built over years.
Regulatory Response and Airline Fixes
DGCA launched a probe into 1,232+ affected flights, directing regional inspections for crew deployment, passenger aid, and coordination at terminals; it banned fare hikes and ordered manpower boosts.
IndiGo will scale down from December 8 cancellations persist 2-3 more days targeting full stability by February 10, 2026, while seeking temporary FDTL rollbacks on night duty definitions and landing caps.
Coordination ramps up with BCAS, AAI, and airports: “Teams are working diligently to normalise operations”.
Inspections hit Delhi Terminal 1 hardest, with mandates for better on-ground support amid passenger ordeals. Past fatigue complaints from pilots drove FDTL changes, but IndiGo’s lag in adaptation exposed vulnerabilities.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Disruptions like IndiGo’s underscore the human cost of aviation lapses stranded travellers, families missing milestones demanding empathy-driven reforms for kinder, reliable skies that honour every passenger’s time and trust.
Accountability via apologies is a start, but proactive crew planning, tech resilience, and aid like meals, hotels, swift refunds foster harmony and positive change in our bustling travel ecosystem.
