Shabna Haris, who regularly flew with IndiGo from Pune to her hometown of Kannur, stated that her experience was excellent. She noted that the staff is generally helpful at the airport, and they are lenient regarding luggage that slightly exceeds the allowance. She emphasized that the airline's key strength is its punctuality, stating that she has never encountered any issues. Hashir, an expatriate based in the UAE, echoed similar positive feedback regarding IndiGo.

Given the overwhelmingly positive feedback from seasoned travelers, the recent spate of flight cancellations raises a critical question: What led to this particular airline's crisis last week, and why did the media and the judiciary intervene?

The Rise of IndiGo

IndiGo was co-founded by Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal in 2005, launching its first service on August 4, 2006. At the time, India's private airline sector was characterized by domestic and international carriers offering cheap fares—a significant draw for expatriate workers. However, these airlines often compromised on punctuality and hospitality, frequently cancelling flights without prior notice and failing to adhere strictly to the rules and regulations set by the DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation). The government often overlooked these lapses, largely because the airlines were owned by major corporate entities.
IndiGo distinguished itself by focusing keenly on punctuality. The airline consistently took off and landed on time, offered affordable fares, and provided excellent hospitality. This commitment quickly made IndiGo a preferred choice, leading to its emergence as one of India's best airlines within just two decades.
However, this legacy of reliability underwent a drastic change last week, a fallout attributed to a new regulatory measure introduced by the DGCA.

Changing the Duty Time of Pilot

Every country has specific regulations for monitoring the duty and rest times of pilots and cabin crew. While India had such rules, they were often theoretical. Airline companies prioritized maximizing services with a limited pool of pilots, frequently disregarding these mandates. This practice was a contributing factor in several aviation incidents in India.

For instance, pilot fatigue and over-duty stress led to decisions such as cancelling the standard go-around procedure, resulting in crash landings. There were also instances where pilots avoided diverting to alternative airports during bad weather, fearing negative repercussions on airline schedules. Furthermore, pilots in emergency situations were sometimes pressured to land at specific airports where the airline's ground staff was available.
To address these safety concerns, the DGCA decided in 2025 to upgrade the weekly resting hours for pilots from 36 hours to 48 hours. The implementation of this new order directly triggered the subsequent crisis for IndiGo.

The IndiGo Issue

Between December 1 and 9, IndiGo was forced to cancel nearly 4920 domestic services and 64 international services. This massive disruption was a direct result of the pilot shortage caused by the scheduling impact of the new DGCA order. Numerous other flights were also significantly delayed.

The situation provoked widespread public outcry, leading to intervention from the media, the government, and the judiciary. The court criticized the central government for its lack of serious engagement with the matter. While some parties alleged that IndiGo had deliberately manufactured the disruption to pressure the government into revoking the new order, the airline's chairman, Vikram Singh Mehta, firmly denied this, calling it a false allegation. IndiGo subsequently announced that it would provide compensation to all passengers who were affected by the cancellation in January.

In response to the crisis, the DGCA suspended four flight operation inspectors and questioned the airline's CEO and COO. Meanwhile, IndiGo appointed aviation expert Captain Johan Illson to investigate the root cause of the specific issue. By December 9, the airline successfully stabilized its operations, resuming its regular schedule of 2,100 services to 138 destinations.

summary: indigo airlines flight cancellations affected hundreds of passengers in a single week, surprising travelers used to its punctual reputation. airline cites operational challenges and staff shortages as reasons. industry analysts warn such disruptions could impact customer trust, bookings, and the carrier’s image if corrective measures are not implemented quickly.