India’s largest domestic carrier IndiGo has cancelled more than 1,000 flights on Friday alone, sparking widespread disruption across the country’s aviation network.
The carrier — which runs about two‐thirds of all domestic flights — termed it a “full operational reboot” needed to address serious scheduling and crew-rostering issues. Many governments airports including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai saw flights cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded — some reportedly waiting hours without clear information or alternative arrangements.
The disruption coincides with new tighter regulations on pilot duty hours under the revised Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), which increased mandatory rest periods and restricted night flying — a change experts say IndiGo failed to adjust for in its scheduling plans.
In a video statement, IndiGo’s CEO acknowledged the chaos and apologised to impacted travellers, saying the airline expects gradual return to normal operations between December 10 and December 15.
