IndiGo is facing one of its biggest operational disruptions of the year, with 130+ flights cancelled across major Indian airports on Wednesday, triggering chaos, overcrowding and delays for thousands of passengers. The cancellations affected both arrivals and departures, leading to long queues and backlogs at terminals.
According to sources quoted by CNBC-TV18, the airline is battling a major pilot shortage, worsened by the full implementation of stricter Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) from November 1. These updated crew rest-and-duty norms have sharply reduced cockpit availability, creating a cascading effect across the network.
City-wise cancellations (as of early afternoon):
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Delhi: 38 flights
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Mumbai: 32 flights
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Bengaluru: About 40 flights
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Hyderabad: Around 20 flights
Passengers reported crowding at baggage belts and frequent gate changes without timely updates. Some travellers claimed that over 200 flights were cancelled when including delays and last-minute scrapped departures.
This is the second consecutive day of disruption — close to 100 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Tuesday as well.
What IndiGo said
In an official statement, the airline acknowledged that operations had been “significantly disrupted” and attributed the crisis to a combination of:
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Minor tech glitches
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Winter schedule adjustments
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Adverse weather conditions
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Increased congestion
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Updated crew rostering rules (FDTL)
IndiGo added that it is making “calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours” to stabilise operations and restore punctuality.
Disruptions to continue?
IndiGo operates around 2,300 flights daily. Sources indicate that the shortage of cockpit and cabin crew at key hubs — especially Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru — could result in more cancellations and rescheduling over the next 48 hours.
Passengers at Delhi’s IGI Airport said airline staff were barely visible, and multiple gate changes happened without announcements.
The situation remains fluid, and more updates are expected through the day.
