IndiGo, India's largest carrier, is working to restore its flight schedule after several days of widespread disruptions, even as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show-cause notice to the airline's CEO, Pieter Elbers, and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras. The DGCA is demanding an explanation within 24 hours regarding the violations linked to the ongoing cancellations and delays.
IndiGo stated on Sunday, December 7, 2025, that it had restored over 95% of its network connectivity, aiming to operate more than 1,500 flights. The airline is reconnecting 135 of its 138 destinations after a planned "reboot" on Saturday, when it operated just over 700 flights. This drastic cutback was intended to stabilize rosters and systems following severe disruptions that left thousands of passengers stranded across airports.
Despite the airline's claims of recovery, operational challenges persist, with over 100 flights cancelled on Sunday. Hyderabad airport reported 115 cancellations, while Chennai recorded 38, causing continued uncertainty and delays for passengers. At Amritsar airport, eleven IndiGo flights were cancelled on Sunday, including routes to Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar and Pune.
The DGCA's show-cause notice to IndiGo's CEO and Accountable Manager cites "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management". The notice alleges that the CEO had failed in his “duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations". The regulator says that IndiGo failed to adequately prepare for the implementation of revised flight duty time limitations (FDTL) for pilots, which took effect on November 1, 2025. The new rules capped the number of night landings and restricted the maximum number of hours a pilot can fly at night. IndiGo has been temporarily exempted from both measures until February 10.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed IndiGo to clear all pending refunds to passengers. The airline has stated that it is addressing customer refunds on priority and coordinating with airports to ensure timely updates are shared through terminals, its website, and direct notifications.
The disruptions have triggered strong criticism, with a senior Congress leader calling the situation a "massive failure" of IndiGo management and the Civil Aviation Ministry. The DGCA has formed a four-member committee to investigate the issue and recommend preventive measures. According to government sources, authorities will take appropriate action depending on the inquiry committee findings.
IndiGo, which controls over 60% of the market share in India, has prided itself on on-time performance and affordable fares. However, on December 5, 2025, the airline recorded its lowest On Time Performance of just 3.7 per cent. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said that it will “take some time” for flight operations to return to normal and anticipates a return to normalcy between December 10 and 15.
