India’s air travel faces chaos as IndiGo cancels over 1,000 flights amid “operational crisis”

India’s aviation network remained severely disrupted for a fourth straight day on Friday, as IndiGo—by far the country’s largest airline—scrapped more than 1,000 flights nationwide, including all departures from New Delhi.

The mass cancellations, triggered by the airline’s failure to prepare for stricter pilot duty-time regulations that took effect on 1 November, stranded thousands of passengers and prompted emergency measures from the government.

In his first public comments since the crisis began, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologised, acknowledging that the disruptions had “shaken customers’ belief in IndiGo’s reliability.” He said normal operations were unlikely to resume before 10–15 December.

Regulator Grants Temporary Relief

India’s civil aviation regulator granted IndiGo temporary exemptions on Friday, suspending a key rule limiting pilots to two night-time landings per week and relaxing duty-time limits for certain night operations until 10 February. However, it refused to roll back the newly expanded mandatory weekly rest period, now set at 48 hours.

Authorities stressed that the long-term implementation of the safety measures would continue “in letter and spirit.”

IndiGo had earlier warned officials that full recovery might not be possible until February, though on Friday it said it expects “progressive improvement” from Saturday.

Rival carriers—including Air India and Akasa—have not been forced to cancel flights due to the new rules.

Airports Overwhelmed, Travellers Protest

Delhi airport said all IndiGo departures on Friday were cancelled, amounting to roughly 235 flights. Cancellations also hit 165 flights in Mumbai, 102 in Bengaluru and 92 in Hyderabad, according to airport sources.

Terminals across the country saw crowds of frustrated and stranded passengers. Videos circulated widely on social media showing arguments with staff, chants of “Down with IndiGo!” in Bengaluru, and children sleeping on the floor of Delhi airport after waiting since 4 a.m.

IndiGo said it has secured hotel rooms and ground transport for affected travellers and will waive all cancellation and change fees for travel between 5 and 15 December.

Market Reaction

Shares of IndiGo’s parent InterGlobe Aviation closed 1.2% lower on Friday and fell 9% over the week—their steepest weekly decline since June 2022. India’s main opposition party has called for a parliamentary discussion on the crisis.