IndiGo Flight Crisis Deepens as Aviation Ministry Orders 10% Cut in Winter Schedule
India’s winter travel season is set to face major disruptions after the aviation ministry on Tuesday ordered IndiGo to cut 10% of its domestic flights, doubling the 5% reduction imposed earlier in the day by the DGCA. The decision follows a week of large-scale cancellations caused by crew shortages, mismanaged rosters and operational delays.
IndiGo currently operates over 2,200 daily flights, and the new cap means around 216 fewer flights per day. However, sources say the airline may reduce its operations even further to around 1,800–1,900 daily flights — a shortfall of nearly 500 flights per day — to stabilise its schedule and prevent further chaos for passengers.
Aviation Ministry Summons IndiGo CEO
Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed the 10% cut on X, saying curtailing IndiGo’s network was “necessary to stabilise operations and reduce cancellations.”
He also revealed that IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers was summoned to the ministry on Tuesday to explain last week’s severe disruptions, which left thousands of passengers stranded. The minister cited “internal mismanagement of crew rosters, flight schedules and inadequate communication” as the primary triggers behind the crisis.
He added that an inquiry is underway and further action may follow.
DGCA Says IndiGo Failed to Handle Approved Winter Schedule
Earlier in the day, the DGCA’s first notice directed IndiGo to reduce operations by 5%, saying the airline had “not demonstrated an ability to operate” its approved winter schedule of 15,014 weekly departures efficiently.
IndiGo was directed to cut flights particularly on high-frequency routes and avoid operating single daily flights on any sector to ensure reliability.
The regulator pointed out that IndiGo was expected to have 403 aircraft available for winter but operated only 339 in October and 344 in November, resulting in persistent cancellations.
Why IndiGo Collapsed Under Pressure
The crisis escalated after the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules came into effect on November 1, increasing the number of pilots required per flight.
IndiGo increased its winter departures by 6% compared to summer but reportedly failed to staff its expanded schedule adequately. The mismatch resulted in nearly 1,000 cancellations in November, which snowballed into hundreds of daily cancellations in early December.
IndiGo said the disruptions were due to a “compounding effect” of technical glitches, weather delays, winter schedule changes, airspace congestion and the transition to FDTL Phase II.
How Other Airlines Were Impacted
Unlike IndiGo, other carriers saw only minor adjustments:
- Air India weekly domestic flights: down 0.8%
- Air India Express: down 6%
- Akasa Air: down 5.7%
- SpiceJet: up 26%, expanding from 1,240 to 1,568 weekly flights
This raises questions about why IndiGo was allowed to expand its winter schedule without ensuring pilot availability under new regulations.
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Our Thoughts
IndiGo’s widespread cancellations have exposed major loopholes in operational planning and regulatory oversight. While winter weather and technical delays are common challenges, the sharp increase in flight cancellations following the rollout of new FDTL rules suggests deeper systemic issues within crew management and scheduling. With IndiGo carrying the largest share of India’s domestic traffic, even a 10% cut has a national-level impact, affecting business travel, tourism and connectivity across major cities.
The aviation ministry’s intervention signals the seriousness of the situation, but the larger question remains: how did the airline receive expanded winter flight approvals without demonstrating adequate crew strength? As IndiGo works to stabilise operations, passengers may continue to face disruptions through December. TheTrendingPeople.com will monitor schedule changes, regulatory actions and passenger advisories as the crisis unfolds.