After the airline cancelled 1,000 flights on Friday, Delhi Airport issued an advisory stating that IndiGo’s flight operations are now “steadily resuming and getting back to normalcy". It also advised passengers to check their flight status before leaving home.
"We are glad to update that Indigo flight operations are now steadily resuming and getting back to normalcy following the brief disruption. Please check the status of your booking and flight before leaving from home," Delhi Airport said.
IndiGo cancelled all domestic flights departing from Delhi Airport until Friday midnight and acknowledged it the most severely impacted day.
IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers apologises
Elbers categorically stated that things are likely to return to normal between December 10 and 15.
"December 5 was the most severely impacted day, with the number of cancellations well over 1000. I extend our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience it has caused to our customers. It will take some time to return to a full normal situation, which we do anticipate between 10-15 December," Elbers said in a video message.
What did Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu say?
Civil Aviation Minister Naidu blamed the airline’s poor crew management and its handling of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules for widespread delays and congestion at major airports across India.
In an interview with ANI, the Minister explained that the disruptions prompted the Civil Aviation Ministry to grant IndiGo temporary relief from the FDTL requirements to help restore normal operations and assist stranded passengers.
"From November 1, the DGCA came up with new FDTL (flight duty time limitation) regulations. The Ministry also initiated a continuous engagement process with the airlines for at least 6 months. Previously, there was no issue regarding the new FDTL norm. Other airlines, including Air India and Spice Jet, have adjusted. However, what has unfolded is due to mismanagement by IndiGo regarding its crew. We have given certain abeyance regarding FDTL norms to IndiGo to ensure normalcy," Naidu said.
IndiGo's dominant market share of almost 63% has raised concerns about a monopoly. The recent cancellation has stranded thousands of passengers, sparking outrage in Parliament too. The centre has directed airlines to implement measures to resolve the disruptions and ensure passenger refunds.
The DGCA has attributed the disruptions to IndiGo's "misjudgment and gap in planning" in implementing new pilot duty-hour regulations.
Under this one-time exemption, valid until February 10, 2026, IndiGo is allowed to disregard certain DGCA regulations on night duty, specifically those covering flight and rest periods between 0000 and 0650 hours. The DGCA has also rolled back the rule preventing airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest.
The purpose of the exemption is to help stabilise IndiGo’s operations amid a shortage of pilots and to minimise inconvenience to travellers. However, the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) of India has condemned the move, saying it creates a risky precedent and weakens long-standing safety standards.
