IndiGo, India’s largest airline, set a grim record by cancelling over 550 flights on December 4, 2025, marking the third day of widespread disruptions that stranded thousands of passengers.
Operational meltdown hits major hubs
- Mumbai led the disruption with 118 cancellations, followed by Bengaluru with 100 (including 73 in a single day on Dec 4), Hyderabad 75, Kolkata 35, Chennai 26, and Goa 11, with additional impacts in Delhi and other hubs.
- The cumulative fallout crossed 1,200 flights since December 2, reflecting the scale of the nationwide disruption.Of these, 755 cancellations were directly linked to crew shortages, making it the core trigger of the meltdown.
- November alone saw 1,232 cancellations, indicating prolonged strain on operations even before the December crisis.
- On-time performance crashed to 19.7% on December 3, down from 35% on December 2, marking one of IndiGo’s sharpest OTP drops.
- Passengers faced long queues, piled-up suitcases, and chaos across major airports, especially Delhi and Bengaluru.
- IndiGo began scaling down operations from December 8, adjusting its 2,300 daily flights as winter fog, congestion, and ATC delays further intensified the crisis.
Root causes and fixes
New Phase 2 FDTL norms, effective November 1, 2025, demand more pilot rest and limit night duties (midnight-6am, max two landings), exposing IndiGo’s planning gaps and underestimation of crew needs.Exacerbating factors include winter weather, airport congestion, minor tech glitches, and ATC issues.CEO Pieter Elbers admitted transitional challenges, promising normalization soon but scaling down operations temporarily while seeking regulatory relief.
Regulatory response and Outlook
The DGCA met IndiGo executives, probing the fiasco and reviewing FDTL compliance; the airline rolled back some night duty changes provisionally.More cancellations loom for 2-3 days as IndiGo stabilizes its 2,300 daily flights, with full recovery targeted by February.Passengers face refunds or rebookings amid vows to restore punctuality.
