India's largest airline, IndiGo, has encountered an operational crisis. In early December, the company canceled and delayed thousands of flights, causing disruptions in the aviation sector and negatively impacting the airline’s reputation and financial performance.
The crisis, which began on December 2–3, has been described as one of the most severe incidents in the history of Indian civil aviation. According to Indian media, the airline has canceled between 3,400 and 4,000 domestic flights since the beginning of December, with over 1,000 flights canceled on December 5 alone.
As a result, tens of thousands of passengers at various airports across the country were left without communication, information, and timely support. According to an official statement, this crisis arose due to difficulties in reorganizing work schedules under new regulations.
The new regulations mandated an increase in mandatory rest periods for pilots and crew and reduced the number of night shifts. Consequently, the low-cost carrier was left without enough staff to maintain its flight schedules.
The disruptions have significantly affected major aviation hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Passengers were forced to wait in long queues at service desks and terminal areas.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the civil aviation regulator, intensified its oversight of the airline, sending inspectors to IndiGo’s headquarters and initiating daily monitoring of flight restoration efforts. The DGCA also formed a special control team to ensure adherence to staffing, crew utilization, and safety standards.
The government ordered IndiGo to reduce its winter schedule by 10% and warned of strict measures for any violations. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologized to passengers for the "serious operational disruptions."
He stated that the company is working to restore a stable schedule and cooperating with the regulator. According to him, the crisis was not deliberate and was caused by challenges in transitioning to the new crew work regulations.
The airline announced compensation for passengers in the form of vouchers worth 10,000 rupees (approximately 110 US dollars) for the inconvenience caused. On December 11, IndiGo reported that the situation was gradually stabilizing.
Operations have been stabilizing since December 9. The airline plans to operate more than 1,950 flights daily once stability is fully restored.
In August 2025, IndiGo began operating regular flights from Tashkent to Mumbai.
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