IndiGo Cancels 450 Flights as Nationwide Disruptions Continue, No Sign of Normalcy Yet

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, continues to grapple with severe operational breakdowns as more than 350 flights were canceled on Monday across multiple airports. The disruptions-now stretching into a full week-have triggered widespread passenger distress and exposed major cracks within the country’s aviation ecosystem.

Flight cancellations piled up early Monday, with Delhi Airport alone witnessing 134 scrapped operations, including 75 departures and 59 arrivals. The situation was similar at other major hubs: 127 cancellations were recorded in Bengaluru, followed by 71 in Chennai, 77 in Hyderabad, and 20 in Jammu. Significant disruptions were also reported in Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Vizag.

By 10:30 am, the total number of confirmed cancellations stood at 456 flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and hundreds of baggage items accumulating at terminal halls in Delhi and other major airports.

The crisis deepened over the weekend, with IndiGo canceling 650 flights on Sunday, compared to more than 1,000 cancellations two days earlier. According to senior aviation officials, the airline has already refunded over ₹610 crore to affected passengers as part of its recovery efforts.

The airline attributed the meltdown primarily to a shortage of cockpit crew following the government’s enforcement of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), which mandate minimum rest hours for pilots. However, after witnessing the unprecedented disruptions nationwide, the government temporarily suspended the rule to stabilize flight operations. IndiGo has announced plans to restore regular operations by December 10.

The Delhi International Airport released repeated passenger advisories, urging travelers to check flight status before heading to the terminals.

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also stepped in, granting IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras an extended deadline to respond to show-cause notices over the massive flight breakdown. The regulator has allowed an additional 24 hours-until Monday 6 pm-for both executives to submit their explanations.

Meanwhile, hundreds of passengers remain stranded across the country, many of whom have shared visuals of chaotic airport scenes and uncollected luggage online.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has initiated several corrective measures, including fare capping on select routes and instructing IndiGo to accelerate its refund process. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu echoed that the airline must take responsibility, noting that the pilot-duty directive had been issued nearly a year ago. A high-level probe has been launched to investigate the crisis in detail.

IndiGo, on its part, has stated that the meltdown was driven by a “combination of factors” that intensified over the past week. As per the government, the airline has so far returned 3,000 pieces of delayed baggage to passengers across India and completed over ₹610 crore in refunds, adhering to the deadline issued by authorities.