Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport experienced significant disruption on December 7, as IndiGo cancelled 115 flights. This brought the airline's total cancellations at the airport to over 500 flights within five days, from December 3 to December 7, severely affecting thousands of travelers.^[1] The widespread cancellations by India's largest airline have caused chaos across its network.^[2][3] ### Pilot Shortage Blamed for Crisis The primary reason for the extensive flight disruptions is IndiGo's failure to adequately prepare for new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules.^[2][4][5] These regulations, which fully took effect on November 1, 2025, mandate longer rest periods for pilots and stricter limits on night flying.^[6][7][4] Aviation experts and pilot unions criticized IndiGo for "mismanagement regarding their crew" and "planning gaps," including a hiring freeze that left the airline unprepared for the new norms.^[2][6][7] IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers acknowledged "misjudgement and planning gaps" in a video statement.^[2] He stated that restoring full normalcy to flight operations would "take some time," initially estimating stabilization between December 10 and 15.^[2] However, the airline later updated its projection, expecting network stability by December 10.^[8][9][5] ### Government and Regulatory Action India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), swiftly responded to the crisis. The DGCA issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and the airline's Accountable Manager, citing "serious lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management."^{[10][5][11][12]} The regulator granted IndiGo a one-time 24-hour extension to respond to the notice.^[9][13] The Ministry of Civil Aviation directed IndiGo to process all pending refunds for cancelled or severely delayed flights by the evening of December 7.^[10][13][14] As of Sunday, IndiGo had processed refunds totaling ₹610 crore. T^[10][8][13]he government also imposed temporary fare caps on domestic flights to prevent price gouging by other airlines. T^[13][5][14]o assist stranded passengers, Indian Railways announced special trains and additional coaches across major routes. ^[10][14]### Passenger Frustration and Airline Response Thousands of passengers across the country, including those at Hyderabad, faced significant inconvenience. Travelers reported long queues, last-minute schedule changes, and frustration over poor communication from the airline. M^[3][14][15]any were left without clear alternative travel options, impacting their plans for work and personal commitments. ^[15]IndiGo has announced a full waiver on all cancellation and rescheduling fees for tickets booked for travel between December 5 and December 15, 2025. T^[16][13]he airline stated it is operating around 1,650 flights on December 7, with its on-time performance showing improvement to 75 percent. A^{[8][16][13][5]} Board-appointed Crisis Management Group is actively monitoring recovery efforts to restore schedules and streamline customer support. T^[8][9]he Civil Aviation Minister stated that the aviation network is "swiftly moving towards full normalcy." ^[10][16]

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