NEW DELHI: Flight cancellations triggered by IndiGo’s operational crisis stretched into the fifth consecutive day on Saturday, with several routes across the country still affected.
The airline, which has been grappling with massive crew shortages and scheduling chaos, cancelled more than 1,000 flights on Friday and 550 on Thursday, marking one of the biggest disruptions the carrier has faced in recent years.
Operations Slowly Stabilising, Says Delhi Airport
In an advisory, Delhi Airport informed passengers that flight operations were gradually improving after days of turbulence. It urged travellers to check their flight status before heading to the terminal.
“Indigo flight operations are now steadily resuming and getting back to normalcy following the brief disruption. Please confirm your booking status before leaving home,” the airport posted on X.
On Friday, IndiGo had halted all domestic departures from Delhi until midnight in a drastic step to stabilise schedules.
Matter Reaches Supreme Court
A petition has been moved before the Supreme Court seeking the intervention of the Chief Justice of India over passenger hardships and financial losses caused by the mass cancellations. The plea requests the apex court to take suo motu cognisance, seek reports from the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA, and constitute a special bench for urgent hearing.
The DGCA has blamed IndiGo’s disruption on planning lapses and misjudgment during the rollout of revised pilot duty-hour regulations.
CEO Issues Apology, Normalcy Expected by Dec 10–15
IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers released a video statement acknowledging the inconvenience caused to thousands of flyers, noting that December 5 was the worst-hit day, with cancellations exceeding 1,000.
“We extend our sincerest apologies… We expect full normalcy to return between December 10 and 15,” Elbers said.
Govt to Act Against Lapses, Says Aviation Minister
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu criticised IndiGo’s crew management and handling of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, saying the ministry had granted temporary exemptions to ease the situation.
“A committee has been formed to probe what went wrong and who is responsible. Strict action will be taken,” he told ANI.
Cancellations Persist Nationwide
Despite signs of recovery, cancellations continued on Saturday morning at multiple airports:
- Thiruvananthapuram: 3 arrivals, 3 departures cancelled
- Ahmedabad (midnight–6 am, Dec 6): 7 arrivals, 12 departures grounded
- Chennai: 29 cancellations recorded by 9 am
With passengers still stranded and operations stabilising gradually, the situation is expected to ease only over the next several days.
