Aviation
IndiGo’s ‘All OK’ claim falls apart! Govt slaps 10% flight cut after weeklong chaos
New Delhi/IBNS: The central government has directed IndiGo to cut its flight operations by 10 percent amid a spate of cancellations that left thousands of passengers stranded across airports nationwide over the past week, according to media reports.
The move comes even as the airline claimed that its services had returned to normal.
A 10 percent reduction translates to more than 200 fewer flights a day, considering IndiGo operates around 2,200 flights daily.
On Tuesday, IndiGo announced that it had regained operational stability after days of disruptions. CEO Pieter Elbers said the airline was “back on its feet” following the crisis triggered by hundreds of cancellations. He thanked customers for accepting its apology and resuming bookings.
Elbers admitted the airline had “let passengers down” and said systems had been stabilised. IndiGo operated only 700 flights on December 5. This climbed to 1,500 on December 6, 1,650 on December 7 and over 1,800 the next day, with the airline now flying to all 138 destinations in its network.
He said IndiGo issued full refunds, assisted stranded travellers and worked to return misplaced baggage. The airline is now evaluating what went wrong and identifying internal gaps to prevent a repeat of the crisis.
Government steps in
Despite IndiGo’s claims of recovery, the government has intensified scrutiny. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told Parliament that no airline would be allowed to inconvenience passengers or compromise safety.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sent showcause notices to IndiGo’s top management and launched a formal probe. Strict action under the Aircraft Act will follow once the investigation is completed, Naidu said.
What triggered the collapse
The minister explained that the crisis occurred during the phased rollout of new flight duty time limitations (FDTL) to reduce pilot fatigue. The rules came into effect in two phases—July 1 and November 1.
IndiGo had assured the DGCA of its readiness, but preliminary findings suggest internal crew-rostering failures led to the cascading cancellations and widespread inconvenience.
The government reiterated that passenger safety and operational reliability remain non-negotiable.
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