Indigo Meltdown: How India's Biggest Airline Spiralled Into Chaos

Srinagar ~ Air travel across India has been thrown into unprecedented turmoil over the past week after IndiGo, the country's largest airline, cancelled more than 2,000 flights since December 2, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at major airports. The disruption, triggered by a cascading crew-shortage crisis, marks the worst operational breakdown in IndiGo's 20-year history.

How the Crisis Began

The trouble started on December 2, when IndiGo began delaying and cancelling flights due to an acute shortage of pilots. The crunch coincided with the enforcement of the second phase of India's new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) - stricter crew rest and duty norms aimed at combating pilot fatigue.

Although these rules were introduced in early 2024, their full implementation began only on November 1, 2025. Airlines were given nearly two years to prepare. However, IndiGo entered the deadline with:

• A hiring freeze
• No-poaching arrangements with other airlines
• A prolonged pilot pay freeze
• Skewed rostering and insufficient planning for additional crew requirements

Aviation experts and pilot unions say these decisions left the airline uniquely vulnerable when the new rest restrictions kicked in.

Why FDTL Rules Caused Massive Cancellations

The fully enforced FDTL norms mandate:

• 48 hours of mandatory weekly rest (up from 36)
• A cap of two night landings per week
• A limit of 8–10 hours of flying during night operations
• Stricter monitoring of pilot fatigue via quarterly reporting

These rules forced a large share of IndiGo's pilots into compulsory rest just as the airline ramped up winter-season frequencies on October 26.

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