The Indian government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the severe disruptions affecting IndiGo flights, with expectations for the situation to stabilize within three days. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has taken immediate and proactive measures to address the ongoing chaos, particularly impacting IndiGo Airlines. Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that flight schedules are expected to normalize by tomorrow.
The inquiry aims to determine the root causes of the disruptions, assign accountability, and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, ensuring passengers are not subjected to such hardships again. The probe will examine what went wrong at IndiGo and determine accountability where required for appropriate actions.
IndiGo, India's largest airline, has faced major operational disruptions, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations and delays across major airports. On Friday, December 5, 2025, the airline cancelled hundreds of flights, with all domestic departures from Delhi, IndiGo's largest hub, cancelled until midnight. The airline has cancelled over 750 flights across major hubs. Flight cancellations and delays are also mounting at other major airports, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Ahmedabad.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has deployed its regional offices for real-time inspections at major airports to assess IndiGo's handling of widespread flight disruptions. An inspection at Delhi T1 found the airline's passenger-handling staff insufficient to manage severe crowding during delays and cancellations and IndiGo has been directed to immediately boost manpower and strengthen passenger-support systems across impacted terminals.
In response to the crisis, the MoCA has established a 24/7 control room with contact numbers 011-24610843, 011-24693963, and 096503-91859 to monitor the situation in real-time, ensure swift corrective action, and provide immediate resolution.
IndiGo has issued a public apology to passengers for the disruptions, acknowledging a "serious operational crisis" affecting its nationwide operations. The airline admitted to misjudging crew requirements and planning gaps during the Phase 2 rollout of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). IndiGo expects full stability to be restored by February 10, 2026, and has requested temporary relief from duty norms.
To mitigate passenger inconvenience, IndiGo is offering automatic refunds, full waivers on cancellations and rescheduling for bookings between December 5–15, and support including hotel rooms, transport, food, and lounge access for senior citizens. The airline has urged affected passengers not to travel to the airport and to use its website or AI assistant for updates and rebookings.
The DGCA has eased flight duty norms by allowing substitution of leaves with a weekly rest period. The revised fatigue-management rules, implemented in July and November 2025, particularly affected night-time operations. The association alleges IndiGo failed to prepare adequately for the new norms despite having nearly two years and instead expanded its Winter 2025 schedule. The letter urges the regulator to withdraw all dispensations, investigate IndiGo's actions, and take punitive steps against the airline's management.
The Airline Pilots' Association (ALPA) has criticized the DGCA for granting IndiGo safety exemptions, warning that these exemptions dilute fatigue-protection norms and jeopardize passenger safety. ALPA alleges that IndiGo manufactured a pilot-shortage crisis and has demanded immediate withdrawal of the relief, a probe into IndiGo's actions, and full enforcement of FDTL norms.
