IndiGo cancels hundreds of flights due to staff shortage
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, suffers severe operational disruption after hundreds of flights were cancelled beginning in early December 2025, following the rollout of stricter pilot duty-time and night-flying regulations. The airline has cancelled more than 300 flights, causing widespread chaos at major airports and leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
The crisis began when India’s aviation regulator implemented the second phase of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, designed to reduce pilot fatigue by limiting night landings and tightening rest requirements. IndiGo — which increased its winter flight schedule by roughly 6 percent — miscalculated how many additional pilots it would need under the new safety framework. As a result, the carrier found itself short-staffed just as holiday travel demand surged.
The knock-on effects have rippled across the country. Overcrowded terminals, long queues, and inadequate passenger support were reported in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and other hubs. Some travellers waited more than 12 hours for rebooking or basic assistance, while grounded IndiGo aircraft clogged airport bays, contributing to delays for other airlines.
Regulators and airport authorities have since intensified oversight. India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) attributed the meltdown to “planning gaps” and ordered on-site inspections to ensure carriers manage rosters responsibly under the new fatigue-mitigation rules. Airports were also instructed to increase staffing and improve passenger-handling procedures.
IndiGo has apologized publicly, acknowledged it “underestimated crew requirements,” and has requested temporary relief from certain night-duty provisions. In response, authorities have granted a one-time exemption to help the airline stabilize its schedule while it adjusts crew rostering.
The carrier has initiated a reset plan that includes further short-term cancellations and a scaled-back schedule. According to regulatory briefings, IndiGo expects to restore normal operations by February 10, 2026.
The situation remains fluid, but with emergency regulatory allowances now in place, IndiGo and the DGCA say efforts are underway to reduce the cascading impact of delays and bring India’s domestic air travel network back to normal.
Earlier this year, many airlines saw disruptions caused by strikes of ground crew and flight attendants
Cover photo by Smith Mehta on Unsplash