At least 175 IndiGo flights were cancelled early on December 4 in India as chaos at key airports worsened, after stringent government regulations on crew safety norms threw roster planning at the country’s largest airline into disarray.
Screenshot of flight arrivals at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru at 11.14 AM on December 4, 2025.
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Special Arrangement
The disruptions have left thousands of travellers stranded for three days now. IndiGo, which has a domestic market share of more than 60%, on December 3 cancelled at least 150 flights across major cities.
A spokesperson for Bengaluru airport stated that 73 IndiGo flights had been cancelled on December 4. An airport official said, “41 arrivals and 32 departures were cancelled due to operational reasons.”
Around 30 flights were cancelled in Delhi, and 68 in Hyderabad, according to airport sources.
The airline did not respond to a request for comment on December 4, but has stated this week, the cancellations were due to various factors, including stricter flight duty time limits introduced by India’s aviation regulator to tackle pilot fatigue.
The Federation of Indian Pilots said IndiGo was not able to make timely roster adjustments and plan its schedule properly ahead of a November 1 implementation date that increased rest periods and introduced some restrictions on night flying.
The crisis is a major setback for the two-decade-old airline that built its reputation on being punctual, coining the tagline ‘IndiGo Standard Time’ when it shut plane gates well before departure time.
On December 3, the airline’s statement said that it was making ‘calibrated adjustments’ to its schedules for the next two days.
What pilots say about disruption
According to ANI, the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) raised concern over the recent wave of flight cancellations across the country, stating that the situation highlights the need for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to consider pilot adequacy while approving airline schedules under the Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) framework.
In a statement issued on December 3, ALPA India stated: “The situation concerning the recent flight cancellations across India, allegedly attributed to pilot shortage due to new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms, raises significant questions about the airline’s management, regulatory oversight by the DGCA, and market fairness.”
The pilots’ association added, “The core question is whether airlines’ current pilot shortage is due to a failure in planning or a calculated strategy. It is more likely a combination of factors… This situation points to a failure of proactive resource planning by dominant airlines, potentially exacerbated by an effort to pressurise the regulator to dilute the promulgated FDTL norms for commercial gain.”
The association urged the DGCA to take pilot capacity into account while approving schedules. “ALPA India urges the DGCA to actively consider the adequacy of pilots available with an airline while granting slots and approving their schedules in the spirit of transitioning to the recent concept of Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS),” according to the statement.
On December 3, IndiGo issued a statement on the ongoing delays, attributing the disruption to multiple operational factors. An IndiGo spokesperson stated: “We have had several unavoidable flight delays and some cancellations in the past few days due to various reasons including technology issues, airport congestion, and operational requirements.
“Our teams are working diligently to ensure that operations normalise as soon as possible. Furthermore, we are offering alternate flight options or refunds to affected customers, as applicable. We regret the inconvenience caused to our valued customers due to these disruptions.”
The airline’s response comes as Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad witnessed major operational disruptions this week. Several flights were delayed, diverted or cancelled on December 2 due to low visibility and other operational issues.
Airport authorities have advised passengers to check real-time updates with their airlines, according to a report by ANI.
Published – December 04, 2025 10:35 am IST
