IndiGo Cancels 4,500 Flights in a Week: Pilot Shortages and DGCA Notice
India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo, is grappling with its worst operational crisis in recent history, cancelling more than 4,500 flights in just seven days.
The disruption has left thousands of passengers stranded at major airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai, with long queues, unclaimed baggage, and mounting frustration.
The crisis stems from a combination of factors: pilot shortages due to delayed recruitment, Airbus A320 software advisories, and the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) designed to reduce fatigue.
These rules unexpectedly sidelined hundreds of pilots when delayed flights extended past midnight, overwhelming IndiGo’s high-utilisation “red-eye” schedule.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to IndiGo’s CEO, citing inadequate crew rostering arrangements. In response, the regulator temporarily relaxed substitution restrictions to ease scheduling pressures.
IndiGo has rolled out recovery measures, including Rs 610 crore in refunds, waivers on cancellations and rescheduling, hotel accommodations, food support, and AI-assisted customer service. Over 3,000 pieces of baggage have already been recovered and delivered.
Despite these efforts, the disruption has severely impacted peak-season travel, forcing passengers to incur additional expenses for hotels and alternative flights.
CEO Pieter Elbers assured that operations are stabilising “step by step,” with 137 of 138 destinations already active. IndiGo expects full recovery by December 10, though operational buffers remain limited.
