NATIONAL: IndiGo Chaos: Over 550 Flights Cancelled
India’s skies plunged into disorder on December 5, 2025, as IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, faced a fourth straight day of massive disruptions.
More than 550 domestic and international flights were cancelled in a single day, leaving thousands stranded across major hubs, including Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
What began as whispers of technical trouble quickly turned into a nationwide crisis that derailed family trips, weddings, and pilgrimages.
What passengers saw was a complete breakdown of normal operations.
Major Airports Hit Hard
Hyderabad lost 79 flights, creating chaos as many passengers learned of cancellations only after clearing security.
Delhi saw 172 cancellations, Mumbai 118, and Bengaluru 100. Kolkata logged 35, Chennai 26, and Goa 11. Nearly two-thirds of IndiGo’s network was delayed, some from sunrise to nightfall.
Airport logs later showed that the crisis continued into the next day. Bengaluru alone saw 102 more cancellations.
Scenes inside terminals were chaotic. Long queues, red alerts on departure boards, and exhausted travelers made air travel unbearable.
Passenger Outrage Peaks
Many stories of distress emerged. A group from Hyderabad heading to a Chennai wedding waited from 5 a.m. until 2 p.m. before their flight was cancelled.
Ayyappa devotees bound for Sabarimala staged a protest after their Hyderabad-to-Cochin flight vanished from the schedule.
At one point, an IndiGo staffer in Hyderabad was assaulted by an angry passenger after a last-minute update.
IndiGo initially stated that only 40 flights were cancelled but later added almost 40 more, leaving thousands confused.
About 3,000 passengers waited all day for flights that never took off. Social media flooded with complaints about lack of alerts, boarding passes issued for cancelled flights, and delays in refunds.
One traveller wrote, “Budget airline or budget nightmare?”
CEO Responds With Internal Note
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers admitted in an internal email that the airline had failed to deliver its promise.
He cited a mix of issues, including system glitches, winter schedule changes, bad weather, air traffic congestion, and new Flight Duty Time Limit rules.
He praised ground teams for working continuously but warned the recovery would not be instant.
IndiGo’s on-time performance had fallen from 84 percent in October to 35 percent this week.
Many questioned why the airline was not prepared for rules that were known months earlier.
With 380,000 passengers travelling daily, even a small miscalculation can create a large chain reaction. This time, it created a nationwide collapse.
Government Steps In
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu met the top management and instructed them to fix the issues immediately and control fares. No ticket price hikes would be tolerated.
DGCA questioned the airline and sought a detailed plan for crew recruitment, training, and roster corrections.
A trimmed schedule will begin on December 8 to stabilize operations. Full recovery is expected by February 10, 2026.
IndiGo also requested temporary relaxation of nighttime FDTL limits for its A320 fleet. DGCA is reviewing the request and will closely monitor progress every two weeks.
DGCA demands include:
- A clear plan for crew expansion
- Immediate safety and fatigue assessments
- Step by step reduction in operational gaps
With almost 60 percent market share, IndiGo faces a crucial test. It must rebuild trust quickly or risk losing its dominance.
This crisis raises a difficult question. In the race for cheaper and faster travel, has the system become too fragile to handle sudden shocks?
IndiGo’s collapse shows how one failure can bring the entire network to its knees.