New Delhi ~ Flight cancellations by IndiGo spiralled into a full-blown nationwide crisis on Friday, stranding thousands of passengers-some for up to three days-as more than 400 flights were cancelled amid severe pilot-rostering failures and mounting operational paralysis.

India's largest airline saw its operations crumble for the fourth consecutive day, with chaotic scenes reported across major airports. Passengers endured delays stretching beyond 12 hours, widespread protests erupted, and piles of unclaimed baggage were seen lying across terminals.

The disruptions, driven primarily by an acute shortage of pilots stemming from planning lapses in implementing the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, forced the carrier's On Time Performance (OTP) to plunge to 19.7 per cent on Wednesday, down from 35 per cent a day earlier. With a fleet of over 400 aircraft, IndiGo normally operates about 2,300 flights daily.

A PTI staffer, who booked a Delhi–Mumbai flight for Rs 25,000 scheduled at 8.30 pm on Thursday, had to remain at the Delhi airport the entire night as the flight was repeatedly rescheduled before being cancelled early Friday. After the cancellation, she struggled to locate her checked-in baggage among heaps of suitcases strewn across the terminal. The airline later assured her the luggage would be delivered to her residence.

Another staffer travelling to Delhi recounted that a flight scheduled for 5.30 pm on Thursday departed only around 2 am on Friday after passengers staged persistent protests. A video from Delhi airport showed hundreds of stranded travellers huddled on the floor waiting for updates, with many demanding explanations for the prolonged delays. Some passengers reported boarding flights only to be deboarded after subsequent cancellations.

Several travellers also complained that airfares on the Mumbai–Delhi sector surged to nearly Rs 60,000 on Thursday amid the chaos.

In a communication to aviation regulator DGCA, IndiGo admitted that the ongoing disruptions stemmed largely from misjudgment and planning gaps related to the revised FDTL rollout. The airline warned of more cancellations until December 8, followed by a cut in scheduled services. It informed the regulator that it expects full operational stabilisation only by February 10, 2026, and requested temporary relaxations in duty norms.

At a high-level review meeting, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu expressed strong displeasure over IndiGo's handling of the transition, noting that the carrier had ample preparation time for the updated regulations.

All departures from Delhi cancelled

As the disruptions widened, IndiGo on Friday cancelled all domestic departures from Delhi airport until midnight, further affecting thousands of passengers during peak travel hours.

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