(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

In the first week of December, IndiGo left tens of thousands of passengers in limbo as India's largest airline cancelled thousands of flights, leading to chaos in airports, distressed passengers, and fatigued frontline staff.

Families were unable to be together in times of need; India's working population were upset that they would lose their jobs due to not being at the workplace. The widespread cancellations brought entire lives to a halt, and the news of the domestic flight disruption took centre stage across cities, and different audiences.

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What caused the large-scale turmoil, and how has IndiGo reacted to its passengers demanding answers? Here's a timeline of how the events unfolded:

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December 2 and 3: Disruption begins

The disruption begins. Although it is not fully clear just how many flights were cancelled on December 2, it is identified as Day 1 of the disruption. On December 3, at least 150 flights were cancelled, spread across Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.

December 3: First statement issued

IndiGo addressed the issue; in a statement released to press, the airline acknowledged the widespread problem, and attributed it to a multitude of factors. Those were as follows:

• Minor technology glitches

• Schedule changes linked to the winter season

• Adverse weather conditions

• Increased congestion in the aviation system

• Implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations)

The airline said all these factors worked together to have a "negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated". IndiGo also said it would provide refunds or alternate travel arrangements.

December 4IndiGo asked to keep airfares steady

Directorate General of Civil Aviation in India (DGCA) said it would monitor airfares during the IndiGo crisi, and ordered the airline to ensure that prices do not soar.

Indigo asked to plan solutions

The Indian carrier was tasked with a few steps to normalise operations. These include:

• Submitting a detailed roadmap covering projected crew recruitment

• Plan for crew training, roster restructuring, safety-risk assessments, and mitigation measures

• Detailed progress report every 15 days, including operational improvements, crew availability, and roster stability

DGCA found that Indigo did not have enough staff to handle the passengers and the extra crowds due to the disruptions.

Apology issued

The airline officially apologised to passengers on December 4, after three days of customers hit by long airport queues and seats on flights that never took off.

It said that it "deeply regrets the inconvenience caused and remains focused on streamlining its operations at the earliest".

December 5Pilot rule roll back

India's aviation watchdog DGCA rolled back its new policy of weekly rest for pilots. The new rules came into effect last month with the aim of giving pilots more rest periods to enhance passenger safety.

What are these new rules?

The new FDTL norms mandate training for roster planners, quarterly fatigue reports from airlines, and address stricter night flying rules. Pilots are now required to get 48 hours of weekly rest, and the number of night landings permitted has been reduced from six to just two.

The Federation of Indian Pilots said IndiGo was not able to make timely roster adjustments and plan its schedule properly ahead of a November 1 implementation date.

The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) raised concerns whether the cancellations are part of a "calculated strategy", slamming the lack of proactive planning.

Largest number of flight cancellations

Over 1,000 flights, which amount to half of the airline's fleet were cancelled on December 5, making it the day with the largest number of flight cancellations. However, these flight cancellations served as a "reboot" to align crew and planes to start afresh the next day, and solve this crisis, the airline's CEO said.

IndiGo CEO issues apology

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued an apology, and outlined three lines of action to solve the crisis. He said he expects the airline to "return to a full, normal operation" between December 10 and 15.

To customers with a "shaken belief in IndiGo", the CEO said teams and frontline staff have been working relentlessly to address the situation, restore trust and strengthen it over time.

Indigo announces several measures

After the airline's largest number of cancellations on Friday, IndiGo announced several measures to support the affected passengers:

• Full refunds for all cancelled flights, processed automatically to the original mode of payment.

• A complete waiver on cancellation and rescheduling fees for travel between December 5 and December 15, 2025.

• Thousands of hotel rooms and ground transport arranged across cities for stranded passengers.

• Complimentary meals and snacks to be provided at airports.

• Lounge access for senior citizens, wherever possible.

High-level inquiry to be conducted

The Indian government said it would institute a high-level inquiry into IndiGo service disruption, according to the country's Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The inquiry will examine what went wrong at IndiGo, determine accountability wherever required for appropriate actions, and recommend measures to prevent similar disruptions in the future, ensuring that passengers do not face such hardships again.

A 24/7 control room was also established to monitor the situation in real time, ensure corrective action, and immediate resolution of issues. The hotlines are as follows:

• 011-24610843

• 011-24693963

• 096503-91859

December 6India caps flight fares

Passengers who were looking for alternate routes at the last minute reported facing sky-high prices, forced to pay whatever it took to reach their destinations, left with no alternative in the wake of the IndiGo cancellations.

India capped airline fares on Saturday to ensure that other airlines do not take advantage of the situation to price flight tickets at exorbitantly high rates. Read the Khaleej Times report on flight ticket prices cap in India

Flights steadily resuming

Delhi Airport issued a fresh advisory, reassuring passengers that flight operations are“steadily resuming” after more than 1,000 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Friday.

In the update, Delhi Airport noted that IndiGo's services are "getting back to normal" after the widespread operational breakdown.

Refunds to be cleared by December 7

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed IndiGo to clear all pending passenger refunds without delay and complete the process for all cancelled or disrupted flights by 8pm on December 7, 2025.

The ministry also said that airlines have been instructed not to levy rescheduling charges for affected passengers and any non-compliance will invite regulatory action.

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