IndiGo Flight Cancellations: Airline clarifies on crisis, shares information with apology

IndiGo Flight Cancellations

IndiGo has expressed regret to the passengers who are facing inconvenience due to large number of flight cancellations and delays. Meanwhile, the government has taken strict action against the airline, making it clear that there will be no excuses now. After repeated disruptions in the peak travel season, the aviation ministry has ordered IndiGo to update its recruitment progress every two weeks. Officials raised questions as to why the airline was less prepared despite the increase in demand. Indigo has now been directed to immediately expedite the recruitment process and streamline operations.

Hundreds of flights cancelled, chaos at the airport

The government has come down hard on IndiGo and directed the airline to give regular updates on staff recruitment every 15 days. Troubled by persistent delays and staff shortage, the ministry has warned that if swift action is not taken, stricter measures may be taken.

IndiGo is currently facing an unprecedented operational crisis, which is directly impacting thousands of passengers across the country. In the last 48 hours, more than 350 flights have been canceled or faced extreme delays. Long queues formed at major airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Lucknow and passengers remained troubled for hours.

At Lucknow airport, angry passengers raised slogans against the airline and the situation worsened. Passengers complained that IndiGo failed to provide clear information about the reasons for the delay or the changed departure time. Many passengers alleged that despite waiting overnight, they were neither given food nor accommodation.

High-level meeting of the government amid growing crisis

As the situation worsened, the Civil Aviation Minister called a high-level meeting of officials from AAI, ATC, DGCA and IndiGo. IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers admitted in an internal message that the airline has failed to deliver on its promises in recent times.

He pointed out that with IndiGo’s large network and wide-ranging operations, any small technical or staffing issue can quickly become a major bottleneck. Albers appealed to employees to work together and stressed that the airline’s priority was to resume normal operations and punctuality.

What is the real reason behind the delay?

According to sources, the main reason for IndiGo’s troubles is the airline’s poor preparation for the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. DGCA had informed all the airlines including IndiGo about this policy as early as January 2025. It was also clarified that the second phase of FDTL will be implemented from November 1.

Despite this, IndiGo reportedly failed to update its crew roster as per the new rules. Insiders claim that the airline was hoping to get some discounts, which it ultimately did not get. The result of this misunderstanding is now clear, operations have been badly affected and passengers are facing problems for the second consecutive day.

As authorities intervene and pressure mounts, all eyes are on how quickly IndiGo can improve its operations and regain the confidence of passengers.

Also read:

Putin India Visit Update: This will be the schedule of Russian President today