IndiGo turmoil: Airline cancels over 400 flights on December 6

IndiGo’s ongoing operational turmoil continued on December 7, with over 400 flights cancelled across the country, prompting the Ministry of Civil Aviation to issue strict directives requiring the airline to complete all passenger refunds by December 7 evening and ensure baggages are delivered to their owners within 48 hours.

The cancellations, affecting major hubs including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, Pune and others extended the disruption into its fifth consecutive day. Bengaluru saw the highest impact, with 124 flights cancelled, followed by 109 in Mumbai, 106 in Delhi and 66 in Hyderabad, according to airport officials.

The crisis follows a massive wave of over 1,000 cancellations on December 5, which marked one of the worst operational breakdowns in Indian aviation history. IndiGo has attributed the disruptions to challenges in complying with the second phase of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules for cockpit crew, prompting widespread crew shortage.
Also read | IndiGo ordered to complete refunds and return baggage of passengers by Dec 7 evening
After days of silence, IndiGo chief Pieter Elbers issued a video statement on Friday apologising for the chaos, saying the airline expected “fewer than 1,000 flights on Saturday”, acknowledging that stabilisation would take time.

Regulatory authorities, however, have linked the crisis to inadequate crew planning by the airline. On Friday, the DGCA granted temporary relaxations to help restore operations, including rolling back the extended night-duty definition and permitting more night landings.

The pilots’ union, ALPA India, sharply criticised the move, calling the selective relief “unsafe” and warning that it “destroyed regulatory parity” and placed “millions of passengers at heightened risk.” The association accused the Ministry of contradicting court-mandated fatigue-mitigation rules by pausing FDTL implementation, arguing that delaying rest-time protections endangered both crew and passengers.

Also read | Aviation ministry caps airfares amid IndiGo disruptions to protect passengers from price surges

IndiGo was among the first carriers to oppose the revised norms when they were introduced in 2024, citing the need for additional time to expand crew strength. The rules — which increase weekly rest to 48 hours, extend night-time duty periods and reduce permitted night landings — were eventually implemented in phases following a Delhi High Court directive.

Amid the continuing turmoil, airports remain under pressure. Pune Airport alone reported 42 cancellations on Saturday, with staff deployed to manage congestion and assist stranded travellers.