India Flights Chaos ✈️🤯: Sky Travel Disaster!

World News

Air travel across India has been in chaos for the past week following the mass cancellations instigated by IndiGo, the country’s largest airline. Beginning on Friday, the airline cancelled over 2,000 flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports nationwide. IndiGo, which typically operates approximately 2,200 flights daily, has been grappling with pilot shortages stemming from its failure to adjust to new pilot rest and duty rules implemented by the government early last year. On Friday alone, at least 1,000 flights were cancelled, representing one of the worst aviation crises in India’s history. The disruptions, which included cancellations in cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad, continued throughout the weekend, with a further 600 flights cancelled on Sunday. Despite being granted exemptions from the new regulations, the ongoing disruptions have significantly impacted the carrier, marking the most serious challenge to its 20-year operation. IndiGo anticipates operations will return to normal by December 10th to 15th. The government has intervened in response to the widespread public outcry.

According to Indian media reports, Sunday saw at least 385 flight cancellations, marking the fifth day of a widespread air disruption. Thousands of passengers remain stranded at airports nationwide due to the ongoing crisis. Reuters, citing airport sources, reported that IndiGo cancelled 124 flights in Bengaluru, 109 in Mumbai, 86 in New Delhi, and 66 in Hyderabad on Saturday. The disruptions began on December 2nd, when IndiGo started delaying and subsequently cancelling flights due to apparent pilot shortages. On Friday, at least 1,000 flights were cancelled, representing one of the worst aviation crises in India's history. Despite the government offering exemptions to the private carrier, Sunday’s cancellations of 385 flights continued the disruption. Early last year, the government implemented new flight regulations – Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) – intended to improve the working hours of Indian airline pilots. However, when the November 1st deadline arrived, IndiGo was not prepared, leading to the initial wave of cancellations.

Delay and subsequent flight cancellations occurred due to insufficient pilot availability. The Fatigue Detection and Threat Level Management (FDTL) system was implemented in two phases this year, with the second phase taking effect on November 1st. The rules established by FDTL include increasing pilots’ mandatory weekly rest period from 36 to 48 hours, though personal leave requests are excluded from this requirement. Furthermore, nighttime flying hours were capped at 10 hours, and the number of landings between midnight and early morning was limited to two. Pilots are now required to submit quarterly fatigue reports to India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Aviation experts and pilot unions have criticized IndiGo, asserting that the airline’s response was characterized by negligence and a lack of preparation for the new rules. The Federation of Indian Pilots stated on December 4th that IndiGo’s “very very lackadaisical, nonchalant attitude” contributed to the crisis. Former AirAsia CFO Vijay Gopalan echoed this sentiment, describing IndiGo’s approach as “very very lackadaisical, nonchalant.” In response to the ongoing flight disruptions, the government has initiated a high-level inquiry to investigate the causes and assign accountability.

Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu has placed blame on IndiGo for “mismanagement regarding their crew,” stating that other airlines were adequately prepared for the recent changes. In a move to address the disruption, the government announced exemptions for the carrier, providing stranded passengers with train tickets to facilitate their continued journeys. Specifically, IndiGo has been granted an exemption from the new rules, suspending the weekly landing cap for pilots operating between midnight and early morning until February 10th, as well as the restrictions on pilots’ flight duty time. However, the Airline Pilots Association of India has voiced strong opposition to these exemptions, arguing that the rules are “solely to safeguard human life.” On Saturday, India’s aviation watchdog, the DGCA, issued a formal warning to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers via a letter, citing “failure in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations” following widespread flight cancellations, as reported by Reuters, quoting DGCA official Ravinder Singh Jamwal. Furthermore, in response to the disruption caused by IndiGo’s operational challenges, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced a cap on airfares to mitigate the surge in ticket prices. IndiGo, holding a significant 60 percent share of the domestic market, has been subject to these measures.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced measures to control surging airfares, citing a disruption in IndiGo’s flight services. IndiGo, the largest private airline and a dominant force controlling nearly 60 percent of the domestic market, faced a direct warning from India’s aviation watchdog, the DGCA. DGCA official Ravinder Singh Jamwal stated in a letter to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers that the airline had “failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations,” amid a series of flight cancellations. Reuters reported the warning, quoting Jamwal. The Ministry’s actions followed the disruption in IndiGo’s services and aimed to stabilize ticket prices.

IndiGo, the largest private airline, currently controls approximately 60 percent of the domestic market. On Sunday afternoon, the airline announced it anticipates operating over 1,650 flights, a rise from the 1,500 flights scheduled for Saturday. IndiGo confirmed that 137 of its 138 destinations are currently in operation. Furthermore, the airline is offering a full waiver on all cancellation and rescheduling requests for bookings made through December 15th. This message was shared by Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo (pic.twitter.com/bXFdqoB0Q2— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E)December 5, 2025). The two airlines are also actively seeking to increase capacity to ensure efficient transportation of both travelers and their baggage to their final destinations.