New Delhi, Dec 3:
IndiGo on Wednesday informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it had cancelled a total of 1,232 flights, with 755 cancellations caused primarily by crew shortages arising from the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. Additionally, 258 flights were disrupted due to airspace restrictions, while 92 were affected by an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system failure.
The DGCA, in an official statement, said it is investigating the disruptions and working with IndiGo to formulate corrective steps aimed at reducing cancellations and delays. The regulator has summoned the airline to present a detailed account of the circumstances leading to the operational breakdown and its mitigation plan.
IndiGo reported a sharp drop in its on-time performance (OTP), falling to 67.7% in November compared with 84.1% in October. The airline attributed the widespread disruption to a combination of crew-related issues, airspace constraints, ATC challenges, and other external operational factors.
The DGCA has issued further clarification on implementing the revised FDTL norms and instructed IndiGo to improve crew planning, rostering, and coordination with airports and ATC authorities. The regulator also advised passengers to check official flight updates before heading to the airport.
The situation worsened on Wednesday, with widespread cancellations across major hubs including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. IndiGo acknowledged the severe impact on operations over the past two days and apologised to passengers. It cited a series of unforeseen operational challenges — including minor technical glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, congestion in the aviation network, and new rostering rules — that collectively disrupted operations beyond prediction.
To stabilise its network, IndiGo has initiated calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours. The airline said efforts are underway round-the-clock to assist affected passengers with alternative arrangements or refunds and to restore punctuality across the system.
