India’s largest airline IndiGo (6E-IGO) has cancelled over 900 flights in just four days, causing an uproar among travellers. We break down what has happened, and explain why passengers can expect the turbulence to continue for weeks—if not months.
Why are IndiGo cancelling flights?
At the heart of IndiGo’s current crisis lies a regulatory change that’s been years in the making. In January 2024, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules to combat pilot fatigue:
- Weekly rest increased from 36 hours to 48 hours
- The definition of night hours expanded from 0000-0500 to 0000-0600
- Night landings limited to two per week, down from six
- Stricter caps on cumulative flying hours
These rules align India with international standards. Airlines lobbied for delays, and the DGCA agreed to a phased rollout. The first phase began in July this year, with the second phase commencing on November 1st.
IndiGo wakes up to a new reality
What has appeared obvious during the past couple of days is that IndiGo, despite nearly two years’ notice, has not succeeded in a smooth transition to abide by these new rules.
Instead, the operational collapse has been swift and severe. According to local media, for the month of November, IndiGo saw more than 1,200 flight cancellations, with 61% directly attributed to FDTL issues. December hasn’t started better for IndiGo. Cancellations and delays have led to an online outcry, as stranded passengers have aired their grievances on various platforms. Finally, earlier today, Friday the 5th of December, Delhi airport (DEL) publicly announced that all IndiGo departures from said airport were cancelled until midnight.
Passenger Advisory issued at 11:34 Hours#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory #DELAdvisory pic.twitter.com/lVeV76itAW
— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) December 5, 2025
Why IndiGo has been hit hardest
As many have noted, other Indian carriers have faced far less disruption. We can only guess as to why, but a fairly confident explanation could be a mixture of some airlines simply operating smaller fleets with a less dense schedule, while the obvious elephant in the room is the availability of crew. Airlines with a better “crew-to-aircraft” ratio simply have better chances of rostering according to the new rules.
Or to put it bluntly: more available crew makes life easier for crew planners, who we imagine presently are involved in quite a stressful session of scheduling whack-a-mole.
IndiGo admits fault and requests exemptions
IndiGo has admitted to the DGCA that disruptions stem largely from misjudgment and planning gaps. The airline requested temporary exemptions from FDTL provisions until February 10, 2026, warning that more cancellations would continue until December 8. The carrier pleaded for exemptions, warning that full operational stability wasn’t expected until mid-February (yes, more than two months away) otherwise.
In response to the crisis, the DGCA earlier today announced that the rule prohibiting crew planners to substitute leave for weekly rest, had been removed, effective immediately. Perhaps more important, the Indian regulator has granted IndiGo a time-limited exemption to the rule on allowed weekly night landings, basically reverting to the previous rule of six. Only time will tell if this mandate will have an effect or not on IndiGo’s punctuality.
Now what?
IndiGo has announced that they will cut back operations starting December 8 to align with available crew. Passengers should expect continued cancellations through mid-December, reduced flight frequency, possible delays due to crew positioning issues, and gradual improvement through early 2026.
If you’re tracking IndiGo on Flightradar24 over the coming weeks, expect a thinner network than usual.
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