Chaos at airports amid flight cancellations

NEW DELHI: India’s largest airline IndiGo is scrambling to restore stability after a week of unprecedented operational chaos sparked by the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for pilots. The disruption, which began on December 2, quickly snowballed into one of the worst aviation meltdowns the country has seen—triggering more than 1,000 cancellations in a single day last week, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, overwhelming airports with baggage pile-ups and prompting strong intervention from the civil aviation ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).As IndiGo attempts to rebuild schedules, compensate passengers, and respond to regulatory scrutiny, here is the crisis explained through key numbers

1,800+ flights back in air, 500 still cancelled

After days of severe cancellations, IndiGo said its operations are recovering, with over 1,800 flights scheduled for Monday, an improvement from roughly 1,650 flights in operation the day before. This comes even as the civil aviation ministry confirmed 500 cancellations for the day, marking continuing pressure on the airline’s network.IndiGo said it has optimised schedules and reduced last-minute cancellations, adding that its on-time performance has climbed to 91 per cent, compared to around 75 per cent on Sunday.

Rs 827 Crore refunded; more in process

The financial impact of the disruption has been staggering. According to the airline, Rs 827 crore has already been refunded for cancellations up to December 15.Separately, the civil aviation ministry said IndiGo has refunded:

9,000 bags delayed; 4,500 delivered

Baggage delays have been among the most visible frustrations for passengers. IndiGo said over 4,500 bags have been delivered so far out of the 9,000 bags that were stuck with the airlines due to disruptions. The rest are expected to be cleared in the next 36 hours, according to both the ministry and the airline’s statement.Govt fixes fare caps at Rs 7,500–18,000 to contain spikeThe civil aviation ministry has imposed temporary maximum fare limits across domestic routes after widespread IndiGo disruptions led to capacity shortages and sharp fare hikes. Under its order, airlines cannot charge more than Rs 7,500 (up to 500 km), Rs 12,000 (500–1,000 km), Rs 15,000 (1,000–1,500 km) and Rs 18,000 (above 1,500 km), excluding taxes and statutory charges. The cap applies uniformly across all booking platforms and will remain in force until fares stabilise. Notably, these caps do not apply to business class.

IndiGo parent InterGlobe stock tanks: Rs 37,000 crore wiped from stock market in 6 days

InterGlobe Aviation has lost more than Rs 37,000 crore in market value over six trading sessions, encompassing the period of the crisis, with the stock down 16.4 per cent.Brokerages turned cautious: UBS cut its target to Rs 6,350, Jefferies warned of rising non-fuel costs, and Investec said full FDTL compliance may require 20 per cent more pilots per aircraft, potentially reducing profit before tax by nearly 25 per cent if fares stay unchanged. The DGCA has also sought an explanation from CEO Pieter Elbers over the unprecedented scale of disruptions.However, despite the sell-off, the stock remains about 7 per cent higher year-to-date.

7 Days of Disruption

The meltdown began on December 2, stretching into a full week of cancellations, delays and congestion at airports. IndiGo said it arranged more than 9,500 hotel rooms and nearly 10,000 cabs and buses between December 1–7 to support stranded travellers.The airline added it is assisting over 2 lakh customers daily through its communication channels as it attempts to manage the fallout.

5 reasons for crisis, says IndiGo

The DGCA had issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras, citing lapses in planning and oversight. The airlines responded with a “profusely apologetic” reply. It blamed a confluence of five factors for the massive nationwide disruptions.—including new FDTL rules, winter schedule changes, weather-related congestion, minor technical glitches and crew availability.The airline said it was not possible to pinpoint exact causes within the short response window and sought more time, noting that DGCA rules allow 15 days for replies. The aviation ministry said DGCA is examining the response and will take appropriate enforcement action.Meanwhile, aviation minister R M Naidu told Parliament that IndiGo failed to cope with the new FDTL norms due to an “internal crisis” and warned of “very, very strict action,” which could include hefty penalties or action against senior DGCA-approved positions.IndiGo described the December 5 cancellations—over 1,000 flights—as a drastic “rebooting” step to recover stranded passengers and reset its network.