Several travelers across India were left in the lurch as travel plans continued to be affected due to the ongoing operational disruptions of IndiGo airline for the third day, with many passengers stranded at various airports on Thursday.
Over 300 domestic and international flights have been canceled in the last two days.
Responding to several social media users who criticized IndiGo, the airline said it regretted the inconvenience caused by the flight delay and said it was never its intention to disrupt customers’ travel plans.
“Our operations depend on several factors, some of which are beyond our control and may affect the schedule. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to serving you better in the future,” read one of the responses.
As the airline continues to grapple with flight disruptions, here’s a look at how things have progressed over the past 48 hours as the airline faces acute crew shortages since the implementation of the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.
In a statement to employees, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said the immediate goal is to normalize operations and get punctuality back on track, not an easy goal.
“We couldn’t live up to our promise of providing (a) good customer experience,” Elbers added.
Read also | ‘We couldn’t deliver on promise’: IndiGo CEO writes to staff amid flight chaos Passengers line up at the Indigo Airlines kiosk at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on December 4, 2025.(AFP)
Flights cancelled
— By Thursday, the airline had canceled over 300 domestic and international flights.
— Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore were among several airports that experienced disruptions.
— At least 95 flights were canceled at Delhi airport, 85 at Mumbai airport, 70 at Hyderabad and 50 at Bangalore, PTI reported citing sources.
Luggage of passengers whose IndiGo flight was canceled sit on trolleys at Pune airport, India, December 4, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis(REUTERS)Read also | IndiGo flights face massive delays after schedule shake-up | Explained
What did IndiGo say?
The airline did not issue any new statements on Thursday about flight cancellations or delays. In a statement on Wednesday, the airline highlighted a variety of challenges, including minor technology glitches, winter season-related flight schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion on the flight system and the implementation of updated crew scheduling rules (FDTL), which negatively impacted our operations in ways that could not have been foreseen.
An airline spokesperson said the airline is offering affected customers alternative flight options or refunds.
“We regret the inconvenience caused to our valued customers as a result of these disruptions. We ask customers to check the latest flight status before traveling to the airport to help minimize any inconvenience.”
What did the Indian Pilots Association say?
The operational outages at IndiGo due to crew issues point to a failure of proactive resource planning by the dominant airlines, according to the All India Airline Pilots Association (ALPA).
It also claimed that there could be an effort to put pressure on the regulator, DGCA, to dilute the new flight duty time restriction norms.
Read also | Angry airmen’s chants of ‘haye haye’ during IndiGo crisis prompt boss-employee jokes
What did aviation watchdog DGCA say?
On Wednesday, the DGCA asked IndiGo to submit reasons for the current situation and said it was investigating the disruption of the IndiGo flight.
The aviation watchdog also asked the airline to submit a plan to reduce disruptions and flight delays.
“IndiGo has been asked to report to the DGCA to present the facts leading to the current situation along with plans to mitigate the ongoing delays and cancellations,” it said.
According to the DGCA, a total of 1,232 flights were canceled in November, including 755 flights due to crew restrictions and Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
Chaos at airports
Meanwhile, several airports were thrown into chaos as flights were delayed and cancelled.
Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said she has repeatedly raised concerns about the duopoly that prevails in the airline industry, leading to higher ticket prices, poor infrastructure and flight cancellations.
“It is a disgrace and I hope the aviation minister will make a suo moto statement on this issue in Parliament.
“One by one flights are being cancelled, chaos at the gates, passengers arguing with the crew, zero communication. My own flight was delayed without any explanation, we were at the airport for 2 hours waiting for some update,” said Arun Prabhudesai, sharing photos and videos from the airport.
A crowd at Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport chanted slogans against the airline.
“@IndiGo just announced the cancellation of the Kolkata Delhi flight and generously offered a refund. I had to pay double the amount to book another flight. Who will pay the extra cost. Absolute mismanagement of the #1 airline. Disgraceful. The board should resign if they can’t handle it,” said user X Pramod Agarwal.
Another user X said: “I have never seen such ongoing chaos confined to one airline. The Indian consumer is paying the price of a monopoly market today.”
“My flight @IndiGo6E was delayed by more than 8 hours yet they are not offering any help to passengers. Atleast they should offer food to their flyers. Pathetic service by IndiGo,” said Shubham Sharma.
Read also | IndiGo flight disruption: Angry passengers say mismanagement | Watch
Delhi Airport issues advisory
One domestic carrier is currently experiencing operational problems resulting in flight delays and flight schedule adjustments. Please be assured that our dedicated ground teams are working diligently with all stakeholders at the airport to mitigate disruption and facilitate the smooth flow of passengers. Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates, the Delhi airport said.
Cochin Airport issues advisory
In a statement, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) said, “Some domestic airlines are currently facing operational restrictions affecting services across the country. CIAL is in round-the-clock coordination with airline operations teams to support passengers and ensure smooth functioning of airport services. Passengers are advised to check with the relevant airline for the latest flight information.”
