Civil Aviation Ministry Cuts IndiGo Flights by 10% Amid Pilot Shortage Crisis

New Delhi, Dec 2025 : The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday issued an order reducing IndiGo’s flight operations by 10 per cent following widespread flight cancellations caused by a severe pilot shortage under the new flight duty limitation rules.

Earlier on Tuesday, the aviation regulator DGCA had directed the airline to cut its operations by 5 per cent. The Ministry’s latest directive aims to stabilise the airline’s services and minimise disruptions for passengers.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said, “The Ministry considers it necessary to curtail IndiGo’s overall routes, which will help in stabilising operations and reduce cancellations. A 10 per cent curtailment has been ordered.” He added that IndiGo will continue covering all destinations, while adhering to the Ministry’s directives on fare capping and passenger convenience measures without exception.

The Minister noted that last week, passengers faced significant inconvenience due to crew roster mismanagement, flight schedule disruptions, and inadequate communication from IndiGo. In response, the Ministry conducted a review with the airline’s top management to implement stabilisation measures.

Today, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers was summoned to provide updates. He confirmed that all refunds for flights affected up to December 6 have been processed, and the Ministry issued strict instructions to expedite remaining refunds and ensure timely baggage handovers.

IndiGo, India’s largest airline with a 65 per cent market share, is followed by Air India at 27 per cent. The DGCA had initially approved 15,014 departures per week for IndiGo during the winter season, when air travel demand peaks. However, the airline cancelled 951 flights in November out of 64,346 approved for the month, causing widespread passenger inconvenience.

The Ministry’s decision underscores the urgent need for IndiGo to stabilise flight schedules and crew management while maintaining passenger service standards. The 10 per cent reduction is expected to ease operational pressure and allow the airline to recover from the ongoing crisis.

Passengers are advised to check flight schedules and updates directly with IndiGo and ensure travel arrangements are adjusted accordingly.