India grounds 10% of IndiGo winter flights after cancellation spiral

The Indian government stepped in with a heavier hand on Tuesday, 9 December, ordering IndiGo to cut 10% of its flights from the winter schedule, doubling the 5% reduction imposed earlier in the day by the aviation regulator after a week of rolling cancellations and passenger chaos.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had first directed India’s biggest airline to trim just over 5% of its approved winter operations, equivalent to a little more than 110 daily flights, after concluding that the carrier had overextended its schedule without adequate crew availability under the new pilot duty and rest rules that took effect on 1 November.

The watchdog said the reduction would apply across high-frequency routes where alternative capacity exists, to contain disruption while easing pressure on stretched flight operations.

By evening, the Ministry of Civil Aviation reviewed the situation and concluded that the regulator’s curtailment was not enough. It ordered IndiGo to pull back 10% of its operations with immediate effect, effectively grounding more than 220 flights a day from its pre-crisis schedule of about 2,300 services.

“The decision has been taken to stabilize the airline’s operations and reduce large-scale cancellations,” the ministry said, adding that IndiGo would still be required to maintain connectivity across all destinations on its network.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said the curbs were meant to force operational discipline. “We cannot allow a situation where passengers continue to suffer because schedules were built without matching manpower and readiness. The objective now is stability first,” he said.

The twin orders cap a turbulent week for IndiGo, which has cancelled more than 5,000 flights since the start of December as it grappled with tighter fatigue management norms for pilots.

The second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitation rules reduced permissible night flying hours and mandated longer rest periods, sharply shrinking available cockpit crew across parts of the network.

The DGCA said the airline had been given sufficient lead time to prepare.

“Adequate notice was provided to the operator regarding the implementation of these provisions. The disruptions indicate shortcomings in planning and preparedness,” the regulator said in its order.

On Saturday, the watchdog had already issued show-cause notices to chief executive Pieter Elbers and chief operating officer Isidre Porqueras, warning that it could take action without further hearings if the airline failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.

In the notice, the DGCA said that as accountable manager, the leadership had failed to ensure reliable operations and passenger facilitation during a predictable rule transition.

In a video message released on Tuesday, Elbers struck a contrite tone. “We let our customers down when a major operational disruption happened, and for that we are genuinely sorry,” he said. “We are rebuilding the network step by step and bringing stability back into the system.”

IndiGo said it is now operating around 1,800 flights a day, up from roughly 700 during the worst phase of the meltdown.

After the government’s 10% order, the airline said it would comply with the revised cap while continuing to serve all destinations on its network.

“We are aligning our operations with the guidance received from the ministry and the regulator. Refunds for affected flights are being processed, and delayed baggage is being returned as a priority,” the airline said in a statement.

The regulator has also constituted a four-member internal committee to examine IndiGo’s handling of the crisis, including adherence to flight duty norms and passenger protection rules. The panel has been asked to submit its findings within two weeks, officials said.

To prevent a wider breakdown of domestic connectivity, the DGCA has allowed IndiGo a temporary, limited exemption from some night operation constraints until 10 February, even as it enforced the overall capacity cut. Global pilot bodies have criticized the exemption, arguing that safety-related fatigue rules should not be diluted after operational failures.