Srinagar- India's largest airline IndiGo's operations crumbled as pilot-rostering issues continued to force large scale flight cancellations – over 1000 on Friday – and many passengers have been stranded for as long as three days at airports.
In a video message, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologised for the severe disruption and said the airline has undertaken a complete reset of its schedules to stabilise operations.

He said the carrier expects cancellations to drop below 1,000 on Saturday and normalcy is anticipated between December 10 and 15.“Earlier measures have proven not to be enough. So we decided today for a reboot of all our systems and schedules, resulting in the highest number of cancellations so far, but imperative for progressive improvements starting tomorrow,” he said.

The crisis has been attributed to gaps in planning for the second phase of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which led to widespread pilot rostering issues. As an interim relief, aviation regulator DGCA has kept the implementation of the new norms in abeyance.

IndiGo usually operates around 2,300 flights daily with a fleet of more than 400 aircraft. With the ongoing disruption, its On Time Performance has plunged to 19.7 percent from 35 percent a day earlier.

Airport terminals in major cities witnessed chaotic scenes. Passengers complained of delays stretching beyond 12 hours, sudden cancellations after boarding, and difficulties in retrieving baggage. Many reported spending nights on terminal floors while waiting for updates.

A PTI staffer, who paid Rs 25,000 for a Delhi–Mumbai ticket, spent an entire night at Delhi airport as her repeatedly delayed flight was finally cancelled early Friday. She also struggled to locate her checked-in bag amid piles of misplaced luggage. Another staffer's flight to Delhi, scheduled for 5.30 pm Thursday, departed only around 2 am after protests by frustrated travellers.

Some flyers said airfares on busy routes soared sharply during the crisis, with tickets on the Mumbai–Delhi route touching around Rs 60,000 on Thursday.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu conveyed displeasure over the airline's handling of the situation, noting that IndiGo had sufficient time to prepare for the revised duty norms.

With the disruption entering its fourth day and more cancellations expected till at least December 8, passengers continue to face uncertainty over their travel plans. IndiGo has promised round-the-clock efforts to restore services and improve customer assistance.

DGCA Eases Flight Duty Norms For Pilots

Aviation watchdog DGCA on Friday eased the flight duty norms by allowing substitution of leaves with a weekly rest period amid massive operational disruptions at IndiGo, according to sources.

As per the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms,“no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest”, which means that weekly rest period and leaves are to be treated separately. The clause was part of efforts to address fatigue issues among the pilots.

Citing IndiGo flight disruptions, sources said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has decided to withdraw the provision 'no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest' from the FDTL norms.

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