IndiGo’s Massive Operational Crisis Continues; 19 Flights Cancelled in Ahmedabad by 6 AM

New Delhi, December 7, 2025:
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is facing one of the worst operational breakdowns in its history, with mass cancellations leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across the country. The crisis continued into Saturday, with 19 flights canceled at Ahmedabad Airport alone by 6 AM.

The situation is no better elsewhere. At Thiruvananthapuram Airport, six domestic flights were canceled on Saturday morning, adding to the growing nationwide disruption.

IndiGo Nearly Paralyzed: 1,000 Flights Canceled on Friday Alone

The airline’s operational meltdown intensified on Friday when nearly 1,000 IndiGo flights were canceled in a single day, effectively bringing its network to a standstill. A day earlier, on December 4, the airline had canceled over 550 flights.

In just five days, more than 2,000 IndiGo flights have been grounded, causing widespread chaos and severely impacting India’s aviation ecosystem.

Over 300,000 Passengers Directly Affected

The largest burden is falling on travelers. More than 300,000 passengers have been directly affected in the past four days, facing long delays, last-minute cancellations, missed connections, and airport overcrowding.

With mounting passenger complaints and nationwide outrage, the government has been forced to intervene.

DGCA Temporarily Relaxes FDTL Rules Amid Crisis

To ease the pressure, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) temporarily rolled back its recently implemented strict weekly rest rules for crew under the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) framework.

The relaxation takes effect immediately — a rare move signaling the gravity of the situation.

Government Blames IndiGo for Mismanagement; Action Expected

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the new FDTL norms came into force on November 1 and no other airline has faced operational disruption as a result.
He added that this clearly indicates IndiGo’s failure in planning, crew management, and operational assessment.

The minister confirmed that:

• A full investigation will be conducted

• Action will be taken against IndiGo for negligence

Even IndiGo has acknowledged the mismanagement, admitting that poor planning and misjudgment of crew requirements triggered a severe manpower shortage once the new rules were implemented.