DGCA Cuts IndiGo's Winter Schedule by 5% Following Massive Flight Cancellation Crisis

Hundreds of Indigo flights were cancelled daily in a massive crisis last week

New Delhi:

The Centre has initiated its crackdown against IndiGo following widespread chaos at airports across India. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the country's aviation regulator, has reduced IndiGo's winter schedule by 5 percent. With IndiGo currently operating approximately 2,200 domestic and international flights daily, this reduction translates to about 110 fewer flights each day. The government has announced that the freed slots will be allocated to other airlines.

According to the DGCA's notification, IndiGo's approved winter schedule was reviewed in light of last week's crisis, during which hundreds of flights were cancelled daily, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

The notification stated: "It was observed that, as per the Winter Schedule (WS) 2025 issued by DGCA, 15,014 departures per week were approved for M/s Indigo, amounting to 64,346 flights approved for the month of November 2025. Whereas, as per the operational data submitted by Indigo, it has been observed that 59,438 flights were actually operated during November 2025, with 951 flight cancellations recorded during the month."

The DGCA further noted: "Whereas, as compared to SS25. Indigo was allowed an enhancement of the schedule by 6% with 403 aircraft as against 351 aircraft in SS25. However, it has been observed that the airline could operate only 339 aircraft in October 2025 and 344 aircraft in November 2025."

The regulator concluded: "From the above, it is inferred that Indigo has increased its departures by 9.66% in comparison to Winter Schedule 24 (WS 24) and by 6.05% in relation to Summer Schedule 25 (SS 25). However, the airline has not demonstrated an ability to operate these schedules efficiently. Therefore, it is directed to reduce the schedule by 5% across sectors, especially on high-demand, high-frequency flights, and to avoid single-flight operations on a sector by Indigo."

Earlier, Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu had warned of exemplary action against the airline. Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Naidu attributed the cancellation of hundreds of flights to IndiGo's "internal crisis" following the implementation of new passenger safety norms. "We care for pilots, crew and passengers. We made it clear to all the airlines. IndiGo was supposed to manage the crew and roster. Passengers faced a lot of difficulties. We are not taking the situation lightly. We will take strict action. We will set an example for every airline. If there is any non-compliance, we will take action," he informed the House. The minister also mentioned that the government has launched a thorough investigation into the matter.

Naidu further expressed the government's desire to increase competition in the aviation sector, suggesting that India has the potential to support five major airlines. The Opposition, however, found the minister's response unsatisfactory and staged a walkout.

The minister's statements and the DGCA's punitive measures follow several days of disruption at airports nationwide, with hundreds of cancelled IndiGo flights disrupting wedding plans, vacations, and professional commitments.

At the root of this chaos were new flight safety regulations announced by the government nearly two years ago. These rules aim to address pilot fatigue, a significant factor in aircraft accidents, by increasing mandatory rest periods. The implementation required airlines to hire additional pilots.

IndiGo, which operates 2,200 flights daily and has traditionally focused on minimizing aircraft downtime, found itself short-staffed as the new regulations took effect. This resulted in hundreds of cancellations and significant inconvenience to passengers. As the situation deteriorated, the DGCA temporarily relaxed the new safety norms to alleviate the crisis.