IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has issued a public apology after canceling over 1,000 flights on Friday, December 5, 2025, causing widespread chaos and stranding thousands of passengers at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai. The disruptions continued into Saturday, December 6, with more than 400 additional flights scrapped nationwide. T^{[1][2][3][4][5]}he severe operational meltdown prompted intervention from the government and left travelers facing long delays, missed connections, and surging airfares. ^[6][7][3][4]### Pilot Shortage Triggers Crisis The primary cause of the widespread cancellations is a significant pilot shortage. T^[6][7]his shortage intensified following the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules by India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The^{[8][9][6][10]}se updated rules, which came into full effect on November 1, require longer pilot rest periods and impose stricter limits on night-time flying. Ind^[6]iGo admitted to "misjudgment and planning gaps" in preparing for these new regulations. Th^[9][5][11]e airline, which operates around 2,300 flights daily and holds about 60% of India's domestic market, struggled to adjust its crew rostering to meet the new norms. Sou^{[1][12][6][11]}rces indicate IndiGo needed over 1,100 more pilots, including more than 200 first officers, to maintain its extensive schedule under the revised rules. Tec^[6]hnical glitches and increased airport congestion also contributed to the operational challenges. ## Airline's Apology and Recovery Plan IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers publicly apologized for the massive inconvenience. In ^{[1][2][3][4][5][14]}a video message, Elbers called December 5 "the most severely impacted day" for the airline. The^[2][4][5] airline has promised full refunds for cancelled tickets, processed automatically to the original payment method. Ind^[4][5]iGo also offered full waivers for cancellation or reschedule requests for bookings between December 5 and December 15, 2025. To^[4][5] support affected passengers, IndiGo arranged thousands of hotel rooms across cities and provided surface transport options. Foo^[5]d and snacks were also provided to waiting customers at airports. The^[5] airline announced a "reboot of all our systems and schedules" to stabilize operations. ## Government Intervenes with Fare Caps, Probe The Ministry of Civil Aviation intervened as the crisis escalated, ordering a high-level probe into the disruptions. Civ^{[15][3][5][14]}il Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu expressed displeasure with IndiGo's handling of the situation, noting that other airlines adapted to the new FDTL rules without significant issues. The^[14][11] government temporarily relaxed some FDTL provisions for IndiGo until February 10, 2026, to help the airline stabilize its schedule. In^[9][3][5] response to skyrocketing ticket prices caused by the cancellations, the government imposed caps on airfares. Ind^[7][3][4]iGo was also directed to complete all passenger refunds by December 7, 2025, 8:00 p.m. The^[3] DGCA has formed a committee to investigate the disruptions and will submit its findings and recommendations within 15 days. ## Airports Face Chaos, Passengers Stranded The operational crisis led to pandemonium at major airports. On Saturday, December 6, Delhi airport reported 106 IndiGo cancellations (54 departures, 52 arrivals), while Mumbai saw 109 cancellations (51 departures, 58 arrivals). Ben^[15][3]galuru airport recorded 124 cancellations, and Hyderabad had 66. Pa^[15][3]ssengers faced agonizing waits, some for over 10 to 12 hours, with limited communication or updates from the airline. Man^[2][6][14]y travelers expressed outrage on social media and at airport counters. The^[2][4] sudden cancellations and subsequent surge in airfares for alternative flights added to the distress of thousands of stranded individuals. ## Outlook for Normalization IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers anticipates that the flight situation will gradually normalize between December 10 and December 15, 2025. How^[1][3][4][5]ever, the airline has also informed the DGCA that full operational stability is expected by February 10, 2026, acknowledging that recovery will take time due to the scale of its operations. The^{[2][12][14][11]} DGCA will review the temporary exemptions every fortnight and requires IndiGo to submit regular progress reports on crew utilization and rostering. ME^[9]TA_TITLE: IndiGo Apologizes as 1,000+ Flights Cancelled, Delhi-Mumbai Chaos

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