To stabilise operations, the Ministry has placed the new crew rest and duty-time rules ( Directorate General of Civil Aviation — DGCA’s Flight Duty Time Limitations ) on hold, at least temporarily.
After days of mass flight cancellations, the government has stepped in to support stranded travellers. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has set up a 24×7 control room and ordered airlines to offer real-time flight updates, full refunds for cancelled flights, and hotel stays for delayed passengers. The move aims to ease the burden on thousands left in limbo by widespread disruptions.
The Ministry has asked airlines to provide regular, accurate information through online systems so passengers can check flight status from home. It has also made clear that:
At the heart of this initiative is the newly launched 24×7 control room — with dedicated phone numbers — to monitor developments and coordinate responses in real time.
To stabilise operations, the Ministry has placed the new crew rest and duty-time rules ( Directorate General of Civil Aviation — DGCA’s Flight Duty Time Limitations ) on hold, at least temporarily. While maintaining safety standards, this decision is a relief for airlines struggling with large-scale delays and cancellations.
Officials hope that with these measures and better planning, flight schedules will begin to normalise by tomorrow, and that full restoration of services will happen within the next three days.
The government has also announced a high-level inquiry into what caused the collapse of IndiGo’s schedule. The probe will examine operational failures and accountability. It aims to recommend steps to prevent similar situations in the future — safeguarding passengers from sudden chaos again.
If your flight got cancelled, you don’t need to request a refund — the airline must refund you automatically. If you're stuck because of long delays, expect hotel stays and support. The government has issued clear instructions: treat special-needs travelers and seniors with priority care.
For future travel plans, keep an eye on the airline’s website or mobile app — updates should come swiftly under the new system.
Industry experts say the root cause was the sudden implementation of stricter crew rest rules under DGCA. Combined with winter schedule changes, technical glitches, and airport congestion, the rules disrupted IndiGo’s tight daily operations. Since the airline runs a huge portion of India’s domestic flights daily, even a small disruption triggered widespread cancellations.
