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IndiGo cancelled more than 1,200 flights last month after government mandated new crew rostering rules
Shweta SharmaThursday 04 December 2025 08:28 GMTComments
open image in galleryTravelers wait at IndiGo ticketing kiosks to reschedule their flights at the Bengaluru airport (REUTERS)
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Major Indian airports suffered severe disruption and witnessed chaotic scenes after the country’s largest carrier cancelled over 200 flights on Wednesday.
The cancellations by IndiGo left thousands of travellers stranded in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.
The latest round of cancellations came while the carrier was under mounting pressure after cancelling over 1,200 flights in November, according to the national civil aviation regulator.
IndiGo apologised to its customers for the cancellations, which it attributed to a mix of issues including adverse weather conditions, greater congestion and the government’s implementation of new crew rostering rules.
”We acknowledge IndiGo’s operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused,” an airline spokesperson said.
The airline cancelled 67 flights at Delhi airport, 40 at Hyderabad, 33 at Mumbai, and 62 at Bengaluru.
open image in galleryA man looks at a fight schedule screen displaying delayed flights by IndiGo at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj international airport in Mumbai (REUTERS)Passengers wandered around terminals looking visibly angry and confused, crowding around IndiGo counters in search of answers. Many clutched their phones, trying to reach customer care while simultaneously pleading with overwhelmed staff for help.
People also gathered around departure boards, pointing at the long list of cancelled flights in disbelief.
“The 6pm flight is delayed by two hours, and even that gate has changed four times,” Rakesh Bhanushali, a chartered accountant from Mumbai, complained.
“We are relying on staff completely. Staff are cooperating but are frankly saying they are not aware what's happening."
open image in galleryTravelers wait at IndiGo ticketing kiosks to reschedule their flights at the Kempegowda airport in Bengaluru (REUTERS)In the wake of the latest cancellations, the aviation regulator told IndiGo to submit a report on the recent disruption in its networks.
"The inconvenience caused to passengers is regretted. Travellers are advised to verify flight status through official channels before departure. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is currently investigating the situation and evaluating measures along with the airline to reduce cancellations and delays to minimise inconvenience being caused to passengers,” it said.
It said that a total of 1,232 IndiGo flights were cancelled in November, with 755 attributed to the government’s new rules to ensure adequate rest for pilots and attendants and prevent fatigue.
The Flight Duty Time Limitations rules have complicated roster management for the airline, which was already facing a pilot shortage, Reuters reported, quoting sources.
IndiGo enjoys a domestic market share of about 60 per cent, operating over 2,200 flights daily, and is steadily expanding internationally to challenge rival Air India's dominance.
IndiGo had an on-time performance of only about 35 per cent on Tuesday, according to government data, the lowest of all Indian airlines.
Its on-time performance this year has typically been above 80 per cent at major Indian airports.
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