The air-travel turmoil surrounding IndiGo entered its fifth consecutive day on December 6, 2025: more than 400 flights were cancelled across major airports in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, even after temporary regulatory relief. The escalating mess triggered panic among travellers and prompted the government to step in to stabilise fares and protect passengers.
Why flights kept getting cancelled
The root of the crisis lies in a sharp shortage of available pilots. New DGCA-mandated crew rest and flight-duty rules forced IndiGo into a roster-management failure. Even after regulators temporarily relaxed certain night-duty and landing limits, the airline could not stabilise operations resulting in massive cancellations.
Airports worst hit: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad see major fallout
On Saturday alone, cancelations included about 124 flights at Bengaluru, 109 at Mumbai, 106 at Delhi and 66 at Hyderabad stranding thousands and disrupting travel plans nationwide. Even beyond the big four hubs, regional airports from Pune to Goa felt the ripple effect, with multiple flights axed or delayed.
Passengers left in limbo: Stranded, delayed, furious
Travellers across cities reported chaotic scenes: long queues at airport counters, lost baggage, last-minute cancellations, and minimal information. The shortage forced many to scramble for alternatives trains or other airlines often at soaring last-minute fares.
Government reacts fare caps, refunds, alternate travel & probe
With fares on some routes reportedly spiking into the tens of thousands, the government invoked regulatory powers to impose ticket-price caps across airlines, aiming to curb opportunistic hikes.
Meanwhile, IndiGo offered full waivers on cancellations/rescheduling between Dec 5-15, arranged hotel stays and transport for stranded passengers, and initiated refund processing.
At the same time, DGCA has launched a formal inquiry into the airline’s crew-rostering failures and ordered submission of an operational roadmap to prevent recurrence.
What’s next
IndiGo’s management projects that full normalcy may return only by December 10-15, giving time to stabilise crew schedules, but the damage to public trust and the airline’s reputation may linger longer.
The debacle also revived concerns about over-dependence on a single carrier for India’s vast domestic air travel demand calling into question competition and capacity distribution across the aviation sector.