The aviation regulator has ordered IndiGo to reduce its winter schedule by 10 percent across sectors after repeated operational failures and thousands of cancellations triggered one of the worst airline disruptions in recent years. The directive, issued on the evening of December 9, comes even as the airline says it has now stabilised operations and resumed more than 1,800 flights a day, down from 2,300.
IndiGo must now submit a revised winter schedule, and provide detailed plans linking future crew recruitment to aircraft induction. Meanwhile other airlines such as Air India and Akasa are increasing flights to fill in the gap left by IndiGo—SpiceJet announced plans to add up to 100 additional daily flights, while Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express are using wide-body planes on some domestic routes to accommodate stranded passengers.
The intervention follows a week in which IndiGo, which controls more than 65 percent of the domestic aviation market, saw its network collapse under the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules that came into effect on November 1. The airline failed to realign crew rosters in time for stricter night-duty limits and longer rest periods, creating an acute shortage of captains and leading to widespread delays and cancellations.
The regulator noted that although IndiGo was permitted to roster 403 aircraft, it operated only 339 in October and 344 in November, signalling incomplete utilisation of available capacity. The DGCA said the airline “has not demonstrated an ability to operate these schedules efficiently”, despite a 9.66 percent increase in departures over WS 2024.
Also Read: IndiGo crisis: What analysts say, status check on flights
If the regulator finds prima facie evidence of anti-competitive conduct under Section 4 of the Competition Act, it can order a full investigation. The DGCA has already issued a separate showcause notice to IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras.
In an updated statement on December 9, the airline said operations had fully stabilised. Elbers, in a video message, apologised to customers, acknowledging the airline had “let you down”. He said the priority had been to move stranded passengers, clear the refund backlog, and return misplaced baggage. IndiGo has now restored over 1,800 daily flights, up from just 700 on December 5, and has resumed services across all 138 destinations in its network.
In its latest note (December 10), IndiGo said all 65,000 employees had been working “day and night” to restore stability. The carrier said its board and crisis management group were meeting daily and working closely with senior management and airport teams.
First Published: Dec 10, 2025, 17:21
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