Nationwide Flight Chaos: IndiGo Apologises as Technical Glitches and Crew Issues Ground Over 150 Flights

Dec 2025 : Thousands of air travellers across India were left stranded and frustrated after widespread flight disruptions hit major airports due to a combination of technical failures, crew shortages, weather challenges, and air traffic congestion. At least 150 flights were cancelled across the country over two days, while several others faced long delays, triggering chaos at terminals and sharp criticism from passengers.

Budget carrier IndiGo, which bore the brunt of the disruption, issued a “sincere apology” on Wednesday evening, acknowledging that its operations had been “significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days.” The airline said it had initiated “calibrated adjustments” to its schedules to restore normal operations.

Passengers at major hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad reported hours-long delays, sudden cancellations, and breakdowns in communication at check-in counters. Many flyers vented their anger on social media, sharing images of overcrowded terminals and collapsed baggage handling systems.

According to airline officials, the disruption stemmed from a series of “unforeseen operational challenges.” These included minor technology glitches, winter schedule transitions, adverse weather conditions, and unprecedented congestion in the aviation sector. A major compounding factor was the implementation of updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), which regulate how many hours pilots and crew members are allowed to work to prevent fatigue and ensure safety.

IndiGo clarified that while the FDTL norms are crucial for safety, their rollout coincided with multiple operational stress factors, creating a ripple effect across the airline’s tight schedules. “These challenges together had a negative compounding impact in a way that was not feasible to anticipate,” the airline said.

In response to the crisis, the airline announced that special measures would remain in place for 48 hours. “These measures will allow us to normalise our operations and progressively recover our punctuality across the network,” the spokesperson said. Affected passengers were offered alternate flight options, refunds, or rebookings at no additional cost.

The scale of the disruption was significant. Around 67 flights were cancelled at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, 42 at Bengaluru, 32 at Mumbai, and 14 at Hyderabad between Tuesday and Wednesday. Ahmedabad alone accounted for 14 cancellations on one day.

The chaos extended beyond IndiGo. Airlines such as Air India, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet also faced delays after an outage in the globally used Amadeus software briefly disrupted check-in systems across several airports on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe into IndiGo’s declining performance. The regulator questioned the airline over its November operations, during which 1,232 flights were cancelled. According to official figures, 755 cancellations were due to staff shortages, 258 due to airport restrictions, 92 due to ATC failures, and 127 for miscellaneous reasons.

“The DGCA is currently investigating the situation and evaluating corrective measures along with the airline to reduce cancellations and delays and minimise inconvenience to passengers,” the regulator said.

On the same day the inquiry was announced, another 85 flights were cancelled across three major airports due to multiple factors including crew shortages, technical problems, and severe congestion — with Delhi reporting 38 cancellations, Mumbai 33, and Ahmedabad 14.

IndiGo reiterated its commitment to restoring stability swiftly. “Our teams are working around the clock to ease customer discomfort and ensure operations stabilise as quickly as possible,” the airline said, advising passengers to check real-time flight updates before heading to airports.

As India’s aviation market continues to see record passenger growth, industry experts warn that infrastructure constraints, staffing gaps, and technology dependencies could make such disruptions more frequent unless urgent corrective steps are taken.
Team Maverick.