In a significant move aimed at stabilizing operations and reducing passenger disruptions, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered IndiGo, India's largest airline, to slash its approved winter schedule by 10%. This decision, made on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, effectively doubles an earlier directive issued the same day, which initially mandated a 5% reduction.
The DGCA's increased intervention follows a period of widespread flight cancellations and passenger dissatisfaction, with IndiGo reportedly canceling 951 flights in November. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers for an urgent briefing, underscoring the severity of the situation. Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the ministry deemed it necessary to curtail IndiGo's routes to stabilize operations and reduce cancellations.
The aviation regulator stated that IndiGo had failed to demonstrate its ability to efficiently operate its expanded schedule. The DGCA had finalized the Winter Schedule 2025 (WS25) in September, which was effective from October 26, 2025, to March 28, 2026. Under this schedule, airlines were slated to operate 26,495 departures per week to and from 126 airports, slightly higher than the 25,610 weekly departures approved during the Summer Schedule 2025 (SS25). IndiGo's share of this schedule was 15,014 weekly departures.
The DGCA noted that IndiGo had increased its departures by 9.66% compared to the Winter Schedule 2024 and by 6.05% compared to the Summer Schedule 2025. However, the airline's operational performance did not reflect this increase in capacity. The regulator had increased IndiGo's winter flights based on an estimated higher aircraft availability at 403 against 351 this summer. However, it was observed that the airline could operate only 339 aircraft in October 2025 and 344 aircraft in November 2025.
The DGCA has instructed IndiGo to implement the 10% reduction across its network, with a particular focus on high-frequency, high-demand routes. The airline has also been directed to avoid single-flight operations on any route to minimize potential disruptions. This curtailment translates to approximately 216 fewer flights daily, based on IndiGo's operation of over 2,200 daily flights. Sources suggest that IndiGo may operate even fewer flights, around 1,800-1,900, to stabilize operations, potentially leading to about 500 daily cancellations.
IndiGo has been directed to fully comply with all instructions issued by aviation authorities, including fare caps on affected routes, passenger assistance and convenience measures, and strict timelines for refunds and baggage delivery. The airline stated that it has already processed 100% of refunds for flights canceled until December 6 and is working to expedite all remaining refunds and baggage handovers. IndiGo must submit a revised schedule to the DGCA by 5 pm on Wednesday.
The operational crisis has revived discussions about crew planning, rostering, and systemic stress within India's rapidly expanding aviation sector. IndiGo had previously attributed the disruptions to "planning gaps and a misjudgment" in estimating crew requirements under the government's revised norms governing night flying for pilots. These norms, implemented from November 1, included capping the number of landings allowed per night shift to two in response to concerns about pilot fatigue.
