The DGCA has issued a show-cause notice against IndiGo and started a probe into operational lapses.
A massive wave of flight cancellations continues to shake India’s skies. Over 4,500 flights were cancelled recently after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) duty-time changes kicked in. The airline — which had reportedly flagged no issue in a December 1 meeting — now finds itself at the centre of a harsh government response.
The chaos began soon after the new flight-duty norms came into force. Airports from Delhi to Bengaluru remain crowded with stranded travellers.
In Parliament on Monday, Ram Mohan Naidu said the crisis is not due to regulators or policy changes — but a failure in the airline’s “crew rostering and internal planning system.”
The minister defended the updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, saying other airlines adapted smoothly. He said the ministry had consulted stakeholders before these rules became effective on November 1.
The new FDTL norms restrict pilots’ weekly flying hours, aim to reduce fatigue, and adjust night-duty caps. Airlines had known about the rules well in advance — but according to regulators, only IndiGo mismanaged crew allocations and failed to recruit or roster enough pilots.
This breakdown in crew-availability planning triggered cascading cancellations and delays across the airline’s network.
Thousands of passengers were left stranded at airports this week. Delays lasted hours; multiple flights never took off.
The government has now ordered IndiGo to complete all passenger refunds by a strict deadline. It has also capped airfares temporarily and asked airlines to provide alternate flights or compensation as per civil aviation norms.
Special control rooms and helplines now work round the clock to help affected travellers.
The DGCA has issued a show-cause notice against IndiGo and started a probe into operational lapses. The aviation ministry has also granted a temporary exemption — but underlined that full compliance and transparency remain mandatory.
Officials warned that punishment would follow if the airline failed to fix systemic issues. The entire aviation sector — and thousands of passengers — now watch closely.
The recent turmoil underscores how fragile airline operations can be. Even routine policy changes can cause nationwide disruption if not matched with proper planning and manpower. For now, passengers hope that the cancellations end soon — but many may carry a long memory.
