India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has cancelled nearly 200 flights across the country, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and frustrated at major airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. This major disruption continued for the second day on Thursday, 4 December 2025, after earlier cancellations and delays disrupted travel across India.
What happened?
The airline’s schedule collapsed as a result of a combination of operational challenges, causing widespread flight cancellations and long delays. Hundreds of passengers were forced to wait for hours at airport terminals, with many missing connections and plans.
Officials described this as one of the worst periods of disruption for IndiGo in recent years. On-time performance dropped sharply, and several flights departing or arriving at key airports were abruptly cancelled without much prior notice.
Why are flights being cancelled and delayed?
A number of factors have come together to create the disruption:
1. New Pilot and Crew Rest Rules (FDTL)
New crew duty and rest regulations introduced in November, known as Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), have reduced the number of hours pilots and cabin crew can work, and increased mandatory rest periods. This has significantly affected crew availability, leading to cancellations because legally available staff could not be deployed for many flights.
2. Rostering Challenges
IndiGo operates one of the largest flight networks in India, with over 2,000 flights daily. Reworking crew rosters to meet the new rules has proved difficult, leaving gaps in schedules that could not be filled in time.
3. Technical and Airport Issues
Check-in and departure control systems at several airports reported minor technical faults, adding to delays. In addition, winter weather, heavy air traffic and congestion at major metro airports made recovery harder for the airline.
Impact on passengers
The disruption affected travel plans for passengers nationwide. Many reported long queues, unclear communication from the airline, and difficulty finding alternative flights. In some cases, travellers were delayed for hours with little support at airport counters.
At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport alone, dozens of flights were cancelled or rescheduled, while similar scenes unfolded at other key airports.
Airline response
IndiGo acknowledged the problem and apologized to affected passengers. The airline said it has begun “calibrated adjustments” to its schedules and is working to restore normal operations over the next 48 hours. It is also offering alternative travel arrangements or refunds to those whose flights were cancelled or delayed.
IndiGo is advising travellers to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to contact customer support for options.
Regulator involvement
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has called IndiGo officials for discussions on how to reduce cancellations and delays and improve passenger convenience. Regulators are reviewing how the airline is implementing the new duty and rest norms and exploring ways to minimise operational disruption.
What’s next?
IndiGo’s chief executive has said stabilising operations and improving on-time performance is a priority. However, aviation experts say that as long as the new duty rules remain in place, airlines will need time to fully adjust their crew schedules and staffing models to avoid future disruptions.