IndiGo’s operational crisis deepened on Friday as its on-time performance at six major metro airports collapsed to just 8.5%, according to data published on the Civil Aviation Ministry website. The sharp fall became the latest flashpoint in a continuing disruption that has now stretched into its fourth straight day.The airline cancelled all departing flights from Chennai airport until 6pm, according to sources cited by PTI. Alongside, it also suspended all departures from Delhi Airport until midnight, adding to the turmoil for passengers already facing widespread delays and cancellations across the country.
This comes barely 24 hours after IndiGo scrapped more than 550 domestic and international flights, far above its usual levels of disruption. Airports remain overwhelmed as passengers report being stranded for days without proper assistance. Scenes of frustration have been visible across terminals, with travellers complaining of no food, no water, vacant counters and missing luggage. Some flights were delayed by more than 12 hours, adding to the congestion at airports such as Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa.According to PTI, Friday’s cancellations alone crossed 400. The city-wise breakdown included 118 cancellations in Mumbai, 100 in Bengaluru, 75 in Hyderabad, 35 in Kolkata, 26 in Chennai and 11 in Goa, with several other airports also reporting disruptions. Queues have grown longer by the hour as flyers struggle to rebook tickets or retrieve their baggage, while many complain of having no clarity on when they will be able to travel.With IndiGo accounting for roughly 65% of India’s domestic market, the impact has begun spilling over to other carriers.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now stepped in, requiring IndiGo to submit a detailed roadmap covering pilot hiring, training timelines, roster restructuring and safety assessments. The regulator has also made it mandatory for the airline to file a progress report every 15 days. IndiGo has assured the DGCA that “normalized and stable operations will be fully restored by 10 February 2026.”IndiGo currently operates more than 400 aircraft, runs over 2,300 flights daily, connects over 90 domestic and 45 international destinations, and flew 118 million passengers in FY25. The airline was recently named “Best Airline in India and South Asia” at the 2025 Skytrax Awards.Data submitted to the regulator shows that IndiGo has 2,357 captains and 2,194 first officers available for December. However, its crew requirement has risen sharply since the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules came into effect. In November alone, it required 2,422 captains and 2,153 first officers, higher than the October requirement of 2,186 captains and 1,948 first officers. With the updated FDTL norms also limiting the number of night landings per pilot, night operations have faced the hardest hit.On the top of that, the airline also increased its domestic flight count by 6%, from 14,158 in the summer schedule to 15,014 in the winter schedule beginning 26 October. The mismatch between flight capacity and available pilots has resulted in the current crunch, leaving passengers to deal with both mass cancellations and soaring fares.
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