IndiGo cancels over 300 flights in 2 days: What's causing the disruption?

IndiGo cancelled over 300 flights in the last two days across India, causing widespread delays and leaving thousands of passengers stranded across major airports

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Budget carrier IndiGo has been hit by severe operational challenges over the past two days, cancelling more than 300 flights and delaying hundreds more. The troubles began as the carrier struggled with a growing pilot shortage and the implementation of the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) rules.

 

IndiGo operates over 2,300 flights daily, so the cancellations amount to nearly 7 per cent of its total operations in 48 hours. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the airline's on-time performance (OTP) slipped sharply to 35 per cent on Tuesday.

 

On Wednesday evening, IndiGo said it had made “calibrated adjustments” to its schedules for the next two days to stabilise operations.

 

What triggered the sudden spike in cancellations?

 

IndiGo said the disruption was caused by “a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges”, including “minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations)".

 

Cyclone Ditwah, which hit parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other southern coastal regions, also affected flight movements and added pressure on operations.

 

A report by the Hindustan Times pointed to an emergency software patch installed on the Airbus A320 fleet over the November 29-30 weekend as the immediate trigger. The patch reportedly caused crew scheduling problems at a time when IndiGo was already operating with limited flexibility because of the new FDTL norms.

 

As flight disruptions continued to rise, the airline issued a public apology, admitting “that IndiGo's operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologise".   

 

IndiGo cancels 175 more flights on Thursday

 

At least 175 IndiGo flights were cancelled early on Thursday, worsening the crisis at major airports. The disruptions, now in their third day, have stranded thousands of passengers. The airline, which controls more than 60 per cent of India’s domestic market, cancelled more than 150 flights on Wednesday alone.

 

The Federation of Indian Pilots said IndiGo was unable to adjust rosters in time for the revised FDTL norms that took effect on November 1. These norms increase crew rest hours and limit night operations.

 

Hyderabad sees over 30 outbound flights cancelled

 

Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport said that up to 33 outbound IndiGo flights and 35 inbound flights may be cancelled on Thursday. On Wednesday, the airline had scrapped 19 flights from Hyderabad airport.

 

Several passengers took to social media to share their frustration. One traveller wrote on X, “We have been at Hyderabad Airport from yesterday at 6:00 pm until today at 9:00 am... This situation has caused significant inconvenience.”

 

Another passenger posted, “Total chaos at Hyderabad airport today... To not give accommodation... Same excuse: crew is coming soon. Unacceptable.” 

 

On-time performance drops sharply

 

Civil aviation ministry data showed IndiGo’s OTP fell to 35 per cent on Tuesday, far below SpiceJet (82.5 per cent), Akasa Air (73.2 per cent) and Air India (67.2 per cent). This is a steep fall for the carrier, which usually maintains over 80 per cent OTP at key airports.

 

Pilots’ body blames poor planning by airlines

 

The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) said that the cancellations reflect poor resource planning by major airlines. It also suggested there may be attempts to pressure the DGCA into relaxing the new FDTL norms.

 

The second phase of FDTL norms -- which mandate longer rest periods and fewer night landings -- came into effect on November 1. Airlines had earlier opposed the norms, citing operational difficulties.

 

ALPA urged the DGCA to consider pilot availability while approving airline schedules.

 

DGCA steps in, seeks detailed explanation from IndiGo

 

The DGCA said IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights in November, with 61 per cent due to FDTL-related issues. The regulator has summoned the airline to explain the cause of the disruptions and present mitigation measures.

 

It said that the situation is under investigation and steps are being evaluated to ensure normal operations return soon.

 

(With agency inputs)