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IndiGo to scale down flight operations from December 8; expects stable operations by Feb 10 next year

NEW DELHI: In a significant development, IndiGo airlines on Thursday informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it expects to fully restore normal and stable operations by February 10, 2026. The airline said that flight cancellations would continue over the next three days and that it would start scaling down flight operations from December 8 to minimize disruptions. IndiGo has also sought exemptions for its A320 aircraft from certain Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, the DGCA said. A high-level meeting was held by the DGCA Director General along with senior IndiGo leadership to review the operational disruptions that have affected airports since late November, according to an official release. Over 200 flights were cancelled on December 3, while more than 300 flights were impacted on December 4. IndiGo has assured the DGCA that corrective actions are underway and that normal and stable operations will be fully restored by February 10, 2026, the release said. 'Could not live up to promise,' says IndiGo CEO amid hundreds of flight cancellations, delays IndiGo admits misjudgment and planning gaps IndiGo acknowledged that the disruptions primarily resulted from misjudgment and planning gaps in implementing Phase 2 of the FDTL Civil Aviation Requirements. The airline accepted that the actual crew requirement for the new CAR exceeded its expectations. The airline is facing significant transitional challenges in roster planning and crew availability under Phase 2 FDTL requirements. These issues, combined with winter operational constraints, have contributed to the sharp spike in cancellations and delays, IndiGo told the DGCA. To minimize passenger inconvenience while maintaining safety margins, IndiGo will reduce its flight operations from December 8 onward. The DGCA directed the airline to normalize operations as soon as possible without causing fare increases. Elaborating on the shortage of Captains since November, when the new rostering rules were implemented, IndiGo said it had only 2,357 Captains in December, compared with a requirement of 2,422. The airline reported having sufficient co-pilots (Flying Officers), with 2,194 available against a requirement of 2,153. In October, IndiGo was comfortably staffed, with 2,186 Captains and 1,948 Flying Officers. After implementing Phase 2 of the new FDTL, operations have been further impacted. The sharp increase in night-time duty share has further constrained crew availability, the airline added. DGCA steps up oversight The DGCA has directed IndiGo to urgently increase its manpower and enhance passenger-support services at all airport terminals nationwide. This follows an inspection of Delhi Airport Terminal 1, which witnessed the highest passenger impact due to IndiGo cancellations. The regulator has also instructed its regional offices to conduct real-time inspections at major airports to evaluate the airlines handling of disruptions, including crew deployment, rostering practices, passenger management, and on-ground coordination during delays and cancellations. A DGCA team observed that IndiGos passenger-handling manpower was inadequate to manage crowding during disruptions. The airline has been asked to submit a detailed roadmap covering projected crew recruitment against aircraft induction, which will be reviewed by the DGCA. Additionally, IndiGo must provide fortnightly progress reports on operational improvements, crew availability, and roster stability, along with details of the FDTL relaxations required to normalize flight operations.