New Delhi – IndiGo cancelled at least 150 flights on Wednesday, creating widespread chaos at major airports across India as thousands of passengers found themselves stranded. The airline apologized for the severe disruption and warned travelers to expect further IndiGo flight cancellations through Friday as it implements emergency measures to stabilize operations.
Crisis Triggers: Multiple Factors Converge
The IndiGo flight cancellations resulted from a perfect storm of operational challenges. The airline attributed the crisis to technology glitches, adverse weather conditions, increased airport congestion, and most critically, the implementation of updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) that came into force in November. These new crew rostering rules, designed to combat pilot fatigue and increase rest periods, have significantly constrained the airline’s operational flexibility.
An emergency Airbus A320 software patch rushed through over the weekend of November 29-30 served as the immediate trigger. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency airworthiness directive affecting approximately 6,000 A320-family aircraft globally after a flight experienced an altitude drop in October, injuring passengers. In India, 200 of IndiGo’s 366 operational A320-family aircraft required the urgent software update, which disrupted crew scheduling precisely when the airline was operating with minimal slack due to FDTL constraints.
Impact Across Major Indian Airports
The scale of IndiGo flight cancellations was staggering. Delhi airport saw at least 67 flights cancelled, including 37 departures and 30 arrivals. Bengaluru experienced 42 cancellations, Hyderabad recorded 40 cancelled flights, and Mumbai witnessed 33 cancellations. The disruption was compounded by baggage system failures at Delhi’s Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, with severe issues at Terminal 1 lasting from approximately 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM.
Passenger anger mounted throughout the day as social media filled with videos showing frustrated travelers confronting airline staff. Many passengers missed connecting flights and important events, while others faced overnight stays without accommodation. A 76-year-old passenger who had traveled 40 hours from Chicago with his wife found themselves stranded in Delhi with no flight until 5:30 AM the next day and no accommodation provided.
Performance Metrics Reveal Severity
Data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shows IndiGo had already been under significant strain before Wednesday’s IndiGo flight cancellations. The airline cancelled 1,232 flights in November alone, with 755 attributed specifically to FDTL issues. On-time performance plummeted to 67.70% in November from 84.1% in October. By Tuesday, IndiGo’s punctuality score had crashed to just 35%—the lowest among all Indian airlines and a dramatic fall from its typical 80%-plus performance.
Single-Fleet Strategy Becomes Vulnerability
The crisis exposed a critical weakness in IndiGo’s business model. The airline has built its success on operating an almost exclusively Airbus A320-family fleet, delivering cost savings through streamlined operations. However, when the Airbus emergency directive required more than half of IndiGo’s operational fleet to undergo urgent maintenance, the airline had no alternative aircraft types to deploy, unlike rivals operating diverse fleets.
The single-fleet strategy, long praised as IndiGo’s competitive advantage, transformed into a single point of failure during this crisis. As of December 2, IndiGo had 416 aircraft in its fleet, with 366 in operations and 50 on ground—up from 47 the previous month.
Also Read: IndiGo Flight Diverted: Urgent Emergency Landing After Bomb Threat
New FDTL Norms Add Pressure
The updated FDTL norms implemented in two phases on July 1 and November 1 have created an acute pilot shortage. The rules mandate increased weekly rest periods to 48 hours, extension of night hours, and limiting night landings to two, down from six previously. While designed to enhance safety, these regulations have significantly reduced operational flexibility.
A former airline official explained that the software patch delayed flights, causing crew duty time limits to expire. This situation was worsened by adverse weather around Chennai due to Cyclone Fengal on Sunday, preventing recovery.
Regulatory Response and Future Outlook
The DGCA launched an investigation on Wednesday, summoning IndiGo to present facts and mitigation plans. The Airline Pilots Association of India criticized what it termed “a failure of proactive resource planning,” suggesting airlines started preparing too late despite having sufficient notice.
IndiGo announced “calibrated adjustments” over 48 hours to stabilize operations. The airline, which operates 2,200-2,300 daily flights to over 90 domestic and 45 international destinations, urged customers to check flight status before heading to airports. Affected passengers were offered alternate arrangements or refunds, though the IndiGo flight cancellations are expected to continue through Friday as the airline works to restore normal operations.
