Indigo crisis exposes operational gaps as punctuality plunges to record low

Indigo's mass cancellations and delays pushed punctuality to just 3.7% early December, with passenger grievances peaking and experts linking the crisis to crew roster implementation issues

indigo airlines, indigo — Indigo attributed the disruptions to unforeseen operational challenges, minor technical glitches, winter schedule adjustments, congestion and adverse weather. (Photo: Reuters)

3 min read Last Updated : Dec 07 2025 | 7:54 PM IST

The recent IndiGo crisis leading to hundreds of flight cancellations across India has brought renewed attention to the overall performance of the country’s airlines. As many as 78 per cent of seats of IndiGo planes were scheduled to be occupied in the first five days of December, while it was the lowest among five airlines at 73 per cent in case of Alliance Air.

Month-on-month data (available till October, 2025) shows that overall occupancy of seats of IndiGo planes has remained strong, ranging between 81 per cent and 91 per cent from January, 2023 to October, 2025. Still, September 2025 marked Indigo’s lowest occupancy rate at 81.5 per cent. Air India’s planes saw it in the range of 77 per cent to 87 per cent, with its weakest performance at 77.3 per cent in October 2025.

Punctuality of IndiGo’s planes was particularly concerning, at just 3.7 per cent in December (till 5th), though it improved slightly to 20 per cent the following day, even as the present crisis continues.

The airline attributed the disruptions to a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges -- minor technical glitches, winter schedule adjustments, congestion, and adverse weather conditions. However, experts linked them mainly with the implementation of an updated roster system of the crew members.

Cancellation rates further highlighted disparities among carriers. Alliance Air recorded the highest rate in October 2025 at 5.8 per cent. SpiceJet followed at 1.9 per cent, Air India at 0.7 per cent, Indigo at 0.5 per cent, and Akasa Air at just 0.2 per cent.

Across 2025, weather disruptions accounted for 34 per cent of cancellations nationwide, followed by technical issues (19 per cent) and operational reasons (12 per cent). This ranking may see tweaks after Indigo’s present crisis.