Key Points
- Over 1,000 IndiGo flights cancelled on December 5, the worst day of the crisis
- More than 500 flights delayed or cancelled daily for four consecutive days
- Delhi airport cancelled all IndiGo domestic departures till midnight on December 5
- Railways added 116 coaches to 37 trains across multiple zones
- SpiceJet operating 100 additional flights over next 2-3 days
- DGCA formed four-member committee to investigate IndiGo’s planning failures
- Crisis caused by pilot shortage due to new Flight Duty Time Limitation norms
- IndiGo CEO expects full normalcy between December 10-15
- Government anticipates complete restoration within three days
- Full refunds and hotel accommodation provided to affected passengers
IndiGo’s operational meltdown has escalated dramatically, with over 1,000 flights cancelled on December 5 alone, marking the most severely impacted day in the airline’s crisis. The disruption, which has entered its fourth consecutive day, has affected more than 500 flights daily across the country, with Delhi airport announcing cancellation of all IndiGo domestic departures till midnight. Normally, the airline cancels 170-200 flights daily, but this number has more than doubled due to an unforeseen pilot shortage. The crisis stems from the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms that increased mandatory rest periods and restricted night duty hours, which IndiGo failed to plan for adequately.
Government Orders High-Level Probe
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has constituted a four-member committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the massive operational disruptions. The panel includes Sanjay K Bramhane (Joint Director General), Amit Gupta (Deputy Director General), Capt. Kapil Manglik (SFOI), and Capt. Lokesh Rampal (FOI), and will submit findings within 15 days. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that accountability will be fixed and those responsible for the chaos will have to pay. The committee will examine manpower planning, rostering under revised FDTL CAR 2024, compliance gaps, and determine accountability for planning failures. In a significant move, the government has temporarily relaxed the FDTL norms and kept the orders in abeyance to help stabilize operations.
Railways Deploys Emergency Coaches
Indian Railways has augmented 37 trains with 116 additional coaches, operating over 114 augmented trips across the network to meet surging travel demand. The Southern Railways has added the most coaches, including sleeper and chair car coaches. Northern Railways has added 3AC and chair car coaches in 8 trains starting immediately. Western Railway is operating 2AC and 3AC coaches on 4 high-demand trains, while East Central Railway has added 2AC coaches on Rajendra Nagar-New Delhi Rajdhani (12309) from today until December 10. East Coast Railway has added 2AC coaches on 5 trips on Bhubaneswar-New Delhi services, Eastern Railway is operating sleeper coaches on 6 trips on December 7-8, and Northeast Frontier Railway has deployed 3AC and sleeper coaches (8 trips each) on two trains from December 6-13. Seats remain available on IRCTC for passengers seeking alternative travel options.
SpiceJet Steps In With 100 Additional Flights
SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh announced that the airline is operating 100 additional flights over the next 2-3 days to assist stranded passengers. SpiceJet has specifically added more Delhi departures for December 6, targeting high-demand routes to provide relief to affected travelers. Ajay Singh described the situation as “very unfortunate” and emphasized the importance of investigating what happened to prevent future occurrences. The airline’s quick response has helped mitigate some passenger suffering, though fares on alternative carriers have soared past ₹1 lakh on some routes due to the crisis.
IndiGo’s Recovery Timeline and Passenger Compensation
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a public apology, acknowledging that December 5 was the most severely impacted day and expressing “sincerest apologies for the inconvenience caused to our customers”. Elbers expects that full normal flight services will be restored between December 10-15, though the airline initially told DGCA it would only achieve full stability by February 10, 2026. The airline has requested a waiver from DGCA on FDTL until February 10, promising everything will be back to normal by then. For passenger relief, IndiGo has assured full refunds for cancelled flights without requiring requests, and stranded passengers due to prolonged delays will receive hotel accommodation arranged directly by the airline. The government has instructed airlines to provide regular and accurate updates through enhanced online information systems.
Root Causes of the Crisis
The crisis was primarily triggered by a shortage of pilots that was not anticipated due to planning deficiencies, according to DGCA sources. The revised FDTL provisions, effective in phases from July and November 2025, forced a large chunk of IndiGo’s pilots into compulsory rest just as the airline expanded its winter schedule frequency on October 26. An Airbus A320 software advisory triggered weekend delays, pushing flights past midnight and turning delays into cascading cancellations once the new rest rules kicked in. IndiGo operates over 2,200 flights daily, nearly double Air India’s operations, making even a 10% disruption affect 200-400 flights and strand thousands. The Federation of Indian Pilots has accused IndiGo of freezing recruitment despite aggressive fleet expansion plans exceeding 1,000 aircraft orders.
