IndiGo Faces Over 550 Flight Cancellations in a Day as Operational Disruptions Trigger Nationwide Chaos
India’s largest airline, IndiGo, continued to grapple with severe operational disruptions for the third consecutive day, resulting in more than 550 flight cancellations and widespread delays across major airports. The cascading breakdown in operations left thousands of passengers stranded on Thursday, prompting concerns from aviation authorities and triggering a high-level review.
According to industry updates, Delhi Airport recorded the highest number of cancellations at 172, followed by 118 in Mumbai, 100 in Bangalore, 75 in Hyderabad, 35 in Kolkata, 26 in Chennai, and 11 in Goa. Several other airports across the country also reported scattered cancellations, adding to the nationwide travel disruption.
In a public statement issued on X, IndiGo apologized to its passengers and partners impacted by the continued service interruptions. The airline acknowledged that the disruptions had affected its entire network and assured customers that efforts were underway to stabilize the situation.
“The last two days have seen widespread disruption across IndiGo’s network. We extend a heartfelt apology to all our customers and industry stakeholders,” the airline wrote.
IndiGo further added that its teams, along with the support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA), DGCA, BCAS, AAI and airport operators, were working round-the-clock to reduce the operational fallout and restore normal schedules. The airline also urged passengers to check the latest flight status before travelling to the airport.
The disruptions coincided with a crucial meeting between senior indigo executives and aviation authorities, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to assess the situation and review corrective measures. Following the meeting, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers addressed employees, admitting that restoring regular operations and punctuality would take time. “We serve close to 380,000 customers a day. We could not live up to that promise these past days, and we have publicly apologized,” he wrote.
Elbers attributed the crisis to a combination of issues, including minor tech glitches, schedule alterations, adverse weather, heavy airspace congestion, and the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms. These overlapping factors, he said, triggered a chain reaction that significantly hampered the airline’s performance.
To manage the situation, IndiGo has revised its schedules and introduced pre-planned cancellations aimed at easing pressure on the system. The airline, which operates around 2,300 flights daily, has usually been regarded as one of India’s most punctual carriers. However, its on-time performance fell dramatically to 19.7% down from 35% on the previous day.
The DGCA revealed that IndiGo has experienced a sharp spike in cancellations throughout November—1,232 flights in total. Among these, 755 were attributed to staff shortages, 92 to Air Traffic Control issues, 258 to airport restrictions, and 127 to other operational reasons. The aviation regulator has initiated a probe and recommended steps such as strengthening crew capacity and implementing additional operational safeguards.
As IndiGo works toward restoring stability, passengers are advised to stay updated via the airline’s official channels and prepare for possible last-minute changes.
Be First to Comment