IndiGo’s widespread cancellations stem from crew shortages and new FDTL rules. Here’s why flights are affected, when normal operations will resume, and how to check your flight status.
File image of an IndiGo aircraft taxiing at an airport on a hazy morning. (IANS)
C.H.A.O.S. — that’s pretty much the only word that fits the scene at airports across India this week. Thousands of passengers were scrambling for answers, unsure whether their flights were merely delayed or already cancelled. Total disruption, right on the cusp of the holiday rush. The spillover is now weighing heavily on other airlines trying to absorb the load.
On Friday, IndiGo continued to cancel, delay or divert flights across the country. The scale of disruption also triggered a political battle, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi blaming what he called a “monopoly-driven economic model” for the crisis.
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As airports struggled with crowding and last-minute schedule changes, IndiGo briefed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that the airline does not expect full operational stability before February 10, 2026.
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The carrier further sought temporary relaxations in Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules in order to ease crew pressure over the next few months.
Also Read: IndiGo disruptions: All departing flights from Delhi cancelled; chaos at other airports as well
Below is a breakdown of why flights are being cancelled, what passengers should check before heading to the airport, and what the regulator has asked the airline to fix.
According to IndiGo’s submission to the DGCA, the disruption is rooted in misjudgment and planning gaps during the rollout of the second phase of the revised FDTL norms. For the unversed, FDTL norms govern how long pilots can operate and how many night landings they may undertake.
The airline admitted that its projections for crew availability were off-mark:
The immediate jump in crew requirements after the FDTL phase-2 rollout meant IndiGo did not have enough cockpit crew for its A320 fleet, a shortfall that tightened night operations further because the new norms restrict the number of night landings per pilot.
On Thursday alone, the airline cancelled over 550 domestic and international flights, and delays were reported across multiple airports.
IndiGo, which prides itself on punctuality, saw its on-time performance crash to:
The airline usually operates around 2,300 flights a day, so a disruption of this magnitude quickly cascaded across the network.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu expressed dissatisfaction with how IndiGo handled the FDTL transition “despite having ample time”. DGCA has now issued strict instructions for:
A DGCA team inspecting Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 also flagged inadequate passenger-handling manpower, especially during disruption-induced crowding.
As per two pilot unions, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), the current meltdown was a “predictable outcome” of poor resource planning. They alleged:
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers reportedly told staff that restoring punctuality will “not be an easy target”.
With frequent last-minute changes, passengers have been advised to verify their flight status before leaving home.
IndiGo’s live flight tracker allows searches by:
Link: https://www.goindigo.in/check-flight-status.html
You can check:
The tool updates in real time and is currently the most reliable source for passengers.
IndiGo has conveyed the following timeline and corrective measures to DGCA:
The airline told DGCA that operations will be fully normal only by February 10, 2026, which means:
IndiGo has asked for short-term exemptions for A320 operations to help manage crew shortages through the winter.
DGCA will review these requests before making a decision.
IndiGo must now submit:
Additionally, the airline must submit a progress report every 15 days on crew availability, punctuality, and roster stability.
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