Indigo flight operations 'steadily resuming': Delhi airport issues advisory after airline's fiasco

IndiGo’s operations were “steadily resuming”, Delhi Airport said late on Friday, even as the airline continued to grapple with an “operational crisis” that has stretched over the past few days and culminated in well over 1,000 flight cancellations in a single day on Friday.

Scenes of chaos unfolded across major airports—including Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru—as the country’s largest carrier struggled to get flights airborne.

IndiGo attributed the disruptions to a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges”, including minor technical glitches, winter schedule changes and the weather.

However, reports have pointed to the implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) as the key trigger. The duty-hour rules, introduced in January 2024 to ensure crew rest and prevent pilot fatigue, had not been enforced until now.

The DGCA later said the widespread cancellations stemmed from IndiGo’s “misjudgment and gap in planning” while applying the new norms.

In a passenger advisory, Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi said operations were “getting back to normalcy” and urged flyers to check their flight status before heading out.

“We are glad to update that Indigo flight operations are now steadily resuming and getting back to normalcy following the brief disruption. Please check the status of your booking and flight before leaving from home,” the airport said.

IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers, in a video message, said the situation would take a few days to stabilise fully, with normalcy expected between December 10 and 15.

“December 5 was the most severely impacted day, with the number of cancellations well over 1000. I extend our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience it has caused to our customers. It will take some time to return to a full normal situation, which we do anticipate between 10–15 December,” Elbers said.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held IndiGo's mismanagement regarding its crew, with respect to the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), responsible for the disruption of its operations, leading to severe delays and congestion at the major airports across the country.

Speaking to ANI, the minister said the events that have unfolded in major airports led the Civil Aviation Ministry to grant IndiGo a certain abeyance from FDTL norms to ensure normalcy and aid stranded passengers.

“From November 1, the DGCA came up with new FDTL (flight duty time limitation) regulations. The Ministry also initiated a continuous engagement process with the airlines for at least 6 months. Previously, there was no issue regarding the new FDTL norm. Other airlines, including Air India and Spice Jet, have adjusted.

“However, what has unfolded is due to mismanagement by IndiGo regarding its crew. We have given certain abeyance regarding FDTL norms to IndiGo to ensure normalcy," Naidu said.

IndiGo's dominant market share of almost 63 per cent has raised concerns about a monopoly. The recent cancellation has stranded thousands of passengers, sparking outrage in Parliament too. The Centre has directed airlines to implement measures to resolve the disruptions and ensure passenger refunds.

IndiGo has been granted a one-time exemption from the DGCA's pilot night duty rules until February 10, 2026. This exemption allows IndiGo to bypass stricter flight duty and rest period norms, specifically those related to night duty between 0000 and 0650 hours and to night operations.

The DGCA has also withdrawn the rule that restricted airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest. The exemption is aimed at stabilising IndiGo's operations and reducing passenger disruptions caused by the airline's pilot staffing crunch.

However, the Airlines' Pilots Association (ALPA) of India has criticised the decision, arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent and undermines established safety regulations. — with ANI