IndiGo’s pilot-planning missteps trigger unprecedented week-long flight meltdown

New Delhi: IndiGo, long seen as India’s benchmark for punctuality and operational scale, has been hit by its most severe disruption to date, cancelling hundreds of flights nationwide for nearly a week.

The crisis stems from a miscalculation of pilot requirements under revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and “lean-staffing” model that left the airline with no buffer when tighter rest rules collided with an aggressive winter schedule. For six consecutive days, India’s largest airline has cancelled large portions of its network—over 650 flights on Sunday alone, out of roughly 2,300 daily—throwing travel plans into chaos. With IndiGo controlling over 65 per cent of the domestic market, the cancellations triggered a nationwide ripple effect.

Terminals in major hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad saw overcrowding, long queues, angry passengers, and thousands of pieces of unclaimed baggage. Rival airlines, already running near capacity, could not absorb the sudden surge in demand.

The trigger was the DGCA’s revised FDTL norms, designed to curb pilot fatigue. The updated rules—effective in phases until November 1, 2025—raise mandatory weekly rest, restrict consecutive night duties, sharply cut allowable night landings and redefine night hours. Collectively, they reduce the number of flights a single pilot can operate. Although the rules were notified in January 2024, IndiGo reportedly underestimated the staffing impact. For its A320 fleet alone, it required roughly 2,422 captains but had about 2,357, with similar gaps among first officers. Its high-utilisation, night-heavy operating model, already stretched, collapsed once the stricter requirements began affecting rosters.

Mass cancellations began on December 2 and escalated rapidly. Many passengers missed weddings, job interviews and medical appointments. Several flights were cancelled after check-in or even boarding, with communication from staff widely criticised. Despite mounting cancellations, the airline continued to accept new bookings and allowed same-day check-ins before informing travellers of delays or cancellations hours later.

IndiGo first acknowledged the scale of the disruption on December 3, attributing the situation to a mix of winter schedule changes, minor tech issues, congestion, weather and new rostering rules—factors it said had an unanticipated “compounding impact.” It apologised publicly on December 4 and again through CEO Pieter Elbers on December 5, announcing fee waivers, refunds, hotel accommodation, meals and lounge access for seniors.

The airline expects to restore full operations between December 10 and 15; on Sunday it operated about 1,650 flights. As public frustration soared, the DGCA on December 5 granted IndiGo a one-time exemption from certain FDTL night-duty restrictions for its A320 fleet until February 10, 2026, while launching a formal inquiry. The regulator has also demanded fortnightly progress reports and a clear staffing roadmap.

On December 6, the DGCA issued show-cause notices to CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras, citing inadequate preparation for the revised norms. Airfares spiked dramatically in the turmoil, with last-minute tickets on key routes touching Rs 40,000–80,000. The Civil Aviation Ministry stepped in with emergency fare caps. IndiGo has since formed a Crisis Management Group, led by chairman Vikram Singh Mehta and senior directors, to monitor and steer the recovery effort.