Why are IndiGo flights getting cancelled across India? Airlines' crisis explained

SCenes of escalating topsy-turvydom ar flowering at airports nationwide as IndiGo's web struggles to stay on airborne. Long queues, frayed tempers and anxious appeals at airline counters have become the norm, with passengers stranded for hours amid a wave of cancellations and delays that has battered the country’s largest airline for a fourth straight day.More than 1,000 IndiGo flights have been cancelled over the past four days. The cancellations have hit major hubs including Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, where hundreds of departures and arrivals have been scrapped in rapid succession.Track latest updates on IndiGo flight status hereThe storm at IndiGo: How the crisis spiraledIndiGo has attributed the chaos to a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges,” including minor tech glitches, winter schedule changes, congestion, and weather.But aviation insiders and regulators agree: the real blow came from the implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) - new crew rest and duty-hour rules designed to prevent pilot fatigue.Initially introduced in January 2024 but not enforced until now, the rules mandate:48 hours of weekly rest for crew (up from 36 hours)A longer night duty window (00:00–06:00)A sharp cut in night landings — only two per week per pilotA cap of 8 flying hours during night operationsThese restrictions forced a large chunk of IndiGo’s pilots into compulsory rest just as the airline expanded its frequency for the winter schedule on October 26.The crunch intensified after an Airbus A320 software advisory triggered weekend delays, pushing flights past midnight - turning delays into cascading cancellations once the new rest rules kicked in.Also read: The domino effect that led to IndiGo’s mass flight cancellations, delaysIndiGo's scale: A double-edged swordIndiGo operates over 2,200 flights a day - nearly double Air India. A tiny lapse in planning becomes an enormous meltdown: Even a 10% disruption means 200–400 flights affected and thousands stranded.At Delhi alone on Friday, 135 departures and 90 arrivals were cancelled. Bengaluru Airport reported 52 arrivals and 50 departures scrapped, while Hyderabad logged 92 cancellations the same day.Nationwide, more than 600 flights were cancelled in just 48 hours - a record-breaking collapse for the 20-year-old airline.Why pilots lay blame on IndiGo managementPilot unions allege IndiGo ignored warnings and failed to prepare staffing rosters:A prolonged hiring freeze despite knowing new rules were imminentLean manpower strategy for years to cut costsNon-poaching pacts and pay freezesSchedule planning that didn’t factor in new rest normsThe Federation of Indian Pilots says the chaos is a direct consequence of these choices, claiming other airlines prepared better and remain largely unaffected. Unions also criticised DGCA for approving winter flights without verifying pilot availability under the new norms.Some aviation experts even suspect the disruptions could be a pressure tactic to secure relaxations in FDTL rules - a claim pilots warn could compromise safety.Passenger nightmare continues“They kept saying ‘just two more hours’ for 12 hours straight. No hotel, no food, nothing," says a stranded Hyderabad flyer.Another passenger in Bengaluru said they spent over 12 hours overnight at the airport before their flight was cancelled.Also read: IndiGo flight cancellations spark chaos across airports - ‘Captain missing, passengers screaming’On Wednesday, IndiGo’s on-time performance crashed to 19.7% - a steep fall from its industry-leading reliability.When will it improve?IndiGo has sought time till February 10, 2026 to fully stabilise operations, and has begun cutting flights over the next few days to contain the damage. It has apologized repeatedly and urged passengers to check flight status before leaving home, carry essential supplies, and consider flexible or refundable bookings.As pressure mounts, pilots have urged DGCA to approve schedules only after airlines prove adequate crew strength - ensuring safety-driven policies don’t get undermined by commercial overreach.IndiGo, which carried 118 million passengers last financial year, is now confronting a harsh truth: high-frequency, low-cost dominance and aggressive scaling are incompatible with tighter fatigue-control norms unless staffing grows proportionately.For now, the skies remain turbulent - and India’s largest airline faces the toughest operational challenge in its history.