IndiGo CEO apologises after over 1,000 flights cancelled; full recovery expected only next week

The country’s largest airline, which operates around 2,300 domestic and international flights daily, scrapped “more than half” of its schedule.

Elbers said the disruptions will continue on Saturday as well, though the airline anticipates fewer than 1,000 cancellations. “Full normalisation is expected between December 10 and 15, though recovery will take time due to the scale of operations,” he added.

The crisis has been triggered by new pilot duty regulations that increase weekly rest hours from 36 to 48, while also reducing the number of allowed night landings from six to two per week.

IndiGo acknowledged “misjudgment and planning gaps” in adjusting to the new rules, leading to the widespread cancellations and airport chaos across major hubs.

In a detailed message to passengers, Elbers outlined three steps the airline is taking to stabilise operations. First, IndiGo has intensified communication with customers, sending detailed updates on cancellations, refunds and support. Call centre capacity has also been ramped up.

Second, the airline said it prioritised clearing stranded passengers today, especially those stuck at major airports.

“We request customers not to come to the airport if their flight is cancelled, as notifications are being sent,” Elbers said.

Finally, IndiGo carried out a large-scale round of cancellations on Friday to reset crew schedules and reposition aircraft so that operations can restart smoothly from Saturday.

“Measures taken over the last few days were not enough. We have decided to reboot our systems and schedules today to enable progressive improvement,” the CEO said.

As the disruption escalated through the day, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stepped in, granting IndiGo a temporary exemption from the new night-duty rules and permitting the airline to substitute pilot leave days with weekly rest periods, a move aimed at easing crew shortages.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said a high-level inquiry will be ordered to examine what led to the operational breakdown. “Accountability will be fixed,” he said.