IndiGo Flight Cancellations Explained Fast: Why It Happened, What’s Affected, And When Will Correct

IndiGo flights across India are cancelled and delayed for days now, leaving travellers stuck in airports. The main reason is pilot shortage and planning issues, which made the airline cut more than 100 flights daily. DGCA stepped in, fare caps were added, refunds ordered fast, and the airline says things may return normal only after December 10–15.

What Started The Massive IndiGo Disruptions

The whole trouble began when IndiGo didn’t plan well for new pilot duty rules. These rules limit how many hours pilots can fly, especially through the night. Because the airline didn’t prepare enough crew for the schedule change, many pilots became unavailable. This created a chain reaction. Flights across major cities slowed, delayed, and finally got cancelled. And once a network breaks, it takes days to rebuild the full system again.

The airline itself said that this chaos came from "unforeseen operational challenges". But DGCA didn’t agree. It said the real issue was poor planning and lack of proper readiness for new regulations. Because of this, thousands of passengers got stuck, many waiting for hours in long lines at airports.

Airports With The Most Cancellations

Hyderabad saw over 100 cancelled flights in a single day, both departures and arrivals. Chennai also saw around 38 cancellations. Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, and Trichy reported long delays and several cancellations, leaving passengers with very little clarity. In many airports, travellers said bags went missing or came very late, making the situation even harder.

People complained about missing onward journeys, losing time-sensitive connections, and spending long hours in queues with no proper help. Many had booked tickets months before, and now they didn’t know when they could fly again.

DGCA’s Action Against IndiGo

The aviation regulator sent a strong show-cause notice directly to IndiGo’s CEO, holding him responsible. The notice said the airline showed “significant lapses” in planning, oversight, and resource management. DGCA asked IndiGo to explain within 24 hours why action should not be taken for failing to run stable and safe operations.

Four-member committee has also been created to study why this happened. The team will check crew planning, readiness, and if the airline followed the new rules properly. This is rare because such large cancellations over several days is not normal for India’s biggest airline.

Government Steps In: Fare Caps And Refund Orders

Many sectors saw unreasonable fare hike because supply dropped overnight. To control this, the Civil Aviation Ministry added temporary fare caps. Now flights under 500 km cannot charge more than ₹7,500 (excluding fees). For 500–1,000 km the cap is ₹12,000, and for 1,000–1,500 km it is ₹15,000. Above that, ₹18,000 is the limit.

The ministry also ordered IndiGo to complete all refunds for cancelled flights by Sunday 8 pm. It also asked the airline to return any separated baggage within two days. This step was taken because so many people struggled to get their money back or track their luggage.

Railways Running Special Trains To Help Travelers

With so many flights down, Indian Railways immediately added 89 special trains across major routes like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Howrah, and Patna. These trains will make 100+ trips in three days. This was done so people with urgent travel don’t get stuck with no option. This move also shows how serious the flight situation was.

Temporary Relaxation For IndiGo Under Pilot Duty Rules

To bring the network back, DGCA temporarily relaxed some pilot duty restrictions for IndiGo’s A320 fleet. Rules on night duty window, night landing limits, weekly rest, and night-day overlap were softened. This was done only till February 10 so that the airline can get enough crew flexibility to normalise operations. But this also means pilots might have tighter schedules for a while though still within safety limits.

When Will IndiGo Be Back To Normal?

IndiGo’s CEO said that because of the size of operations, the airline needs few more days to recover. The airline expects full normal condition between December 10–15. They said 95% of connectivity is restored, and over 1500 flights are planned today, but delays may continue in some routes. They also apologised publicly and assured that they are rebooting systems and rosters.

Why This Crisis Matters For Travellers

IndiGo carries the biggest share of India’s domestic flyers. So when it slows down, the whole travel system gets stressed. Prices rise, queues get longer, and airports get crowded. Many people miss interviews, weddings, important meetings, medical appointments. And trust gets shaken easily.

This event shows how one planning mistake at an airline affects lakhs of people. It also highlights how important crew rest rules are because pilots must fly safely, not tired.

What Passengers Should Do Right Now

Travellers should check flight status from official sources before leaving home. If a flight is cancelled, apply refund directly on the airline website to avoid delay. Keep screenshots of booking IDs. If urgent travel is needed, check trains because many special trains are running. Also check if fare caps are applied on your route before booking new flights.