IndiGo faces major flight disruptions with over 300 daily cancellations due to new DGCA pilot duty rules. Learn the reasons behind the crisis, its impact on passengers and aviation, and how the airline is addressing the issue

Introduction

In December 2025, IndiGo, India’s largest low-cost airline, faced an unprecedented operational crisis, cancelling over 300 flights daily across the country. This disruption was triggered by new regulations introduced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) concerning pilot duty hours. The sudden cancellations caused inconvenience to thousands of passengers and brought attention to the airline’s operational planning.

This blog post explores the reasons behind the cancellations, the impact on passengers and the aviation sector, and what steps IndiGo and authorities are taking to address the crisis.

New Pilot Duty Regulations

The DGCA implemented updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) from November 2025. The rules aim to reduce pilot fatigue and align India’s aviation sector with international safety standards. Key changes include:

• Mandatory weekly rest: Pilots now require at least 48 consecutive hours of rest per week, up from 36 hours previously.

• Night duty restrictions: Pilots can operate only two night landings per week, down from six earlier. Night hours are now defined as 12:00 am to 6:00 am.

• Limits on consecutive night duties to ensure proper rest between flights.

These changes are designed to improve safety but significantly affect scheduling for high-volume airlines like IndiGo.

Why IndiGo Was Affected

Despite a preparation period of nearly two years, IndiGo struggled to comply with the new rules due to:

• Crew shortage: The airline did not recruit or train enough pilots to meet the new rest and duty requirements.

• Lean staffing strategy: IndiGo’s operational model relies on minimal crew to reduce costs. This strategy became a bottleneck under stricter duty rules.

• High flight volume: With over 2,300 flights per day, even minor scheduling disruptions escalated rapidly.

As a result, many pilots could not be scheduled without violating the rest requirements, leading to widespread cancellations.

Scale of Flight Cancellations

• Initial reports indicate that over 600 flights were cancelled within a few days.

• On average, more than 300 flights were cancelled daily at the peak of the disruption.

• Major airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, experienced long queues and frustrated passengers.

• IndiGo’s on-time performance dropped sharply, highlighting the operational strain caused by the new rules.

Impact on Passengers and Aviation

Passengers

• Travel plans were disrupted, including missed connecting flights and international transfers.

• Passengers faced additional expenses for hotels, meals, and alternate transport.

• Ticket prices on other airlines surged due to increased demand.

Aviation Sector

• DGCA required IndiGo to provide detailed explanations for the cancellations and develop corrective plans.

• Airlines had to quickly adjust crew schedules, hire more pilots, and restructure flight rosters.

• The situation raised concerns about preparedness for regulatory changes in India’s fast-growing aviation sector.

Measures Taken by IndiGo and DGCA

• DGCA granted temporary relaxations to allow flexibility in crew scheduling.

• IndiGo has accelerated pilot recruitment, roster adjustments, and training to restore normal operations.

• The airline aims to stabilize its schedule by February 2026, ensuring compliance with new duty rules while maintaining flight coverage.

Conclusion

IndiGo’s flight cancellations highlight the challenges of implementing stricter safety regulations in a high-volume, low-cost airline environment. While the new pilot duty rules are necessary for safety, they exposed gaps in operational planning and crew management.

Passengers traveling with IndiGo in the coming months should:

• Regularly check flight status before traveling.

• Consider refundable tickets or alternate flights.

• Know their rights for refunds or rebooking if flights are cancelled.

With proper adjustments, IndiGo is expected to gradually return to regular operations while maintaining compliance with the updated duty rules.

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Disclaimer: The information shared in this blog is for general informational purposes only. I do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content provided. Any decisions or actions taken based on this blog are solely at the reader’s own risk, and I am not responsible for any losses, damages, or consequences.

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