IndiGo crisis: Pilot rest rules suspended, DGCA launches probe

India’s aviation regulator and the central government moved on Friday to contain a nationwide air travel breakdown after IndiGo cancelled hundreds of flights through the week, leaving airports congested and thousands of passengers stranded.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation placed newly introduced pilot rest rules in abeyance with immediate effect, while the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) set up a four-member inquiry panel to examine what led to the operational collapse and to recommend corrective measures within 15 days.

The DGCA said the situation had prima facie revealed deficiencies in IndiGo’s internal oversight, operational preparedness and compliance planning.

In its order, the regulator noted repeated directions and advance instructions had been issued to the airline for timely preparation to implement revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), which took effect in two phases — the first on 1 July and the second on 1 November.

According to the DGCA, IndiGo was unable to accurately forecast crew availability, conduct mandatory training on schedule or realign rosters in time, despite advance regulatory intimation.

This resulted in cascading delays and cancellations across its network from late November, with daily cancellations reaching an estimated 170 to 200 flights and exceeding those of all other airlines.

The regulator convened a review meeting in which IndiGo admitted it had failed to anticipate the crew requirement under the revised norms.

The airline acknowledged “misjudgement and planning gaps” in adapting to the new rules, despite having two years to prepare for the shift. It also conceded that significant shortcomings existed in planning for Phase-II of the revised FDTL framework introduced on 1 November.

As disruptions escalated, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Friday suspended the DGCA’s new weekly rest directives for pilots, saying the decision had been taken “without compromising on air safety” and “solely in the interest of passengers, especially senior citizens, students, patients, and others who rely on timely air travel for essential needs”. The ministry said schedules were expected to begin stabilising by Saturday.

The DGCA simultaneously constituted a committee comprising Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Captain Kapil Manglik and Flight Operations Inspector Captain Rampal.

The committee will undertake a comprehensive review of the circumstances that led to the crisis and submit its findings within 15 days to enable regulatory enforcement action and institutional strengthening.

By Friday, the disruption had reached a peak as IndiGo cancelled around 500 flights nationwide, including all departures from New Delhi and Chennai. Significant cancellations were also reported in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, causing major congestion at terminals and leaving passengers with little or no information for hours.

The airline, which operates more than 2,000 daily flights and holds over 60 per cent of India’s domestic aviation market, said it was experiencing a “serious operational crisis” and apologised to travellers for the “immense inconvenience and distress”.

Scenes of frustration were reported across multiple airports. Videos on social media showed passengers arguing with staff, children waiting overnight inside terminals, and travellers expressing anger over the lack of updates.

Singapore’s High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, posted that he was stranded as well, saying he was “lost for words” after missing a staff member’s wedding.

In the political arena, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised what he called the government’s “monopoly model”, saying ordinary Indians were “paying the price in delays, cancellations and helplessness”.

IndiGo said it did not expect the situation to be resolved overnight but promised progressive improvement from Saturday.

The airline sought temporary exemptions from elements of the FDTL rules, which the regulator granted, including relief from limits on night-time landings and certain maximum duty period provisions.

The exemptions extend until 10 February. IndiGo said it would offer waivers on cancellations and booking changes for travel between 5 and 15 December, and that thousands of hotel rooms and ground transport arrangements had been made for stranded passengers.

The DGCA’s inquiry is expected to determine accountability as well as recommend systemic reforms to prevent a recurrence. Regulatory action may follow the submission of the committee’s report.

The aviation ministry has said its immediate priority is restoring network stability while ensuring safety is not compromised.

(With inputs from agencies)