December 05, 2025 03:44 pm (IST)

Make this your homepage

News

'Mamata fooled Muslims': Humayun Kabir explodes after TMC suspends him over 'Babri Masjid-style mosque' demand; announces new party | Mosque in the middle of Kolkata airport? Centre confirms flight risks, BJP fires at Mamata | Sam Altman is betting big on India! OpenAI in advanced talks with Tata to build AI infrastructure | Government removes mandatory pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi App. Know all details | Calcutta HC overturns controversial Bengal job annulment — 32,000 teachers rejoice! | Bengal SIR shock: 1 lakh ‘deceased voters’ found in Kolkata North! | Massive twist in Bengal voter list: ‘Perfect’ 2,280 booths shrink to just 480 after probe! | ‘Red carpet for intruders?’: Supreme Court raps petitioner in Rohingya case | Sanchar Saathi app row: Scindia shuts down Congress' ‘snooping’ charge — here’s what he said | Layoff alert! Marketing giant Omnicom to slash 4,000 jobs and shut historic ad agencies after IPG takeover

IndiGo is facing a severe pilot crisis leading to massive cancellations. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Pilot shortage crisis: IndiGo asks for rule relaxation after 200 daily cancellations

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | Dec 04, 2025, at 11:43 pm

#IndiGo # Indigo Cancellations # DGCA # Flight Delay # Pilot Crisis

IndiGo has sought temporary exemptions from pilot rest and duty-time rules until February 10, 2026, as the airline grapples with widespread operational disruptions triggered by the rollout of new fatigue-management norms, media reports said.

The airline admitted to regulators that it underestimated the number of pilots required under Phase 2 of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), which came into effect on November 1 following a court order.

Under pressure from mounting cancellations, authorities have paused two key changes—extending the definition of night duty from midnight–5 am to midnight–6 am, and limiting pilots to two night landings. Both revisions are now temporarily rolled back.

IndiGo warned that cancellations will likely continue for two to three more days as flight schedules are stabilised.

From December 8, the carrier will scale back operations to ease the strain. Over the past three days, lakhs of passengers have been stranded nationwide, with the airline cancelling 170–200 flights daily—far above normal levels.

The crisis prompted Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to summon IndiGo’s top management for an emergency review with officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

The government said it is closely monitoring IndiGo’s network as the disruptions continue to ripple across airports.

IndiGo told the DGCA that transitioning to FDTL Phase 2 significantly increased pilot staffing requirements, particularly for night operations where duty restrictions are tighter and slot windows narrower.

The airline acknowledged that its internal forecasts misjudged the scale of changes, resulting in planning gaps and insufficient crew at a time when winter weather and airport congestion were also impacting operations.

The revised safety norms, aimed at reducing pilot fatigue, have forced widespread adjustments to crew rosters, flight timings, and turnaround durations.

DGCA issues tough compliance orders

In response to the cancellations, the DGCA has directed IndiGo to submit:

A roadmap for pilot recruitment and aircraft induction
A revised operational stabilisation plan
Fortnightly progress updates on crew availability and scheduling
Details of all requested FDTL relaxations
The regulator said it will continue real-time monitoring of IndiGo’s flight operations and passenger services.

Staff shortage at Delhi airport

Ground inspections by DGCA teams at major airports revealed that IndiGo had inadequate passenger-handling staff, especially at Delhi’s Terminal 1—the worst-affected location.

Overcrowding and delays left passengers struggling for assistance, prompting the regulator to order an immediate ramp-up in manpower and support desks.

The Civil Aviation Minister has directed airports to provide continuous assistance to stranded travellers. MoCA has also asked DGCA to monitor airfares closely to ensure prices do not spike unfairly during the disruption.

With IndiGo scaling down operations and regulators tightening oversight, authorities expect gradual improvement even as thousands more passengers may continue to face delays in the coming days.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.

India
International

Related Images

Vladimir Putin receives grand ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan — see the highlights! Dec 05, 2025, at 03:42 pm

In Images: Putin writes in Gandhi’s visitor book at Rajghat — a moment capturing global attention! Dec 05, 2025, at 03:35 pm

Inside Hyderabad House: PM Modi meets Putin — these photos are making waves! Dec 05, 2025, at 02:45 pm