Airports across India have been a picture of confusion this week as IndiGo passengers wrestle with sudden cancellations, hours-long delays and very little clarity.
By mid-week, more than 150 flights had already been scrapped in a single day, queues spilled across terminals in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and travellers found themselves stuck on the ground while their itineraries collapsed in real time. With delays stretching up to eight hours in some cases, frustration has firmly replaced the airline's long-held reputation for punctuality.
How Did It Get So Messy
The root of the crisis lies in a combination of staffing issues and the sudden strain caused by revised flight duty time limitation norms, which mandate longer rest hours and more humane rostering.
IndiGo, operating over 2,200 flights daily and holding more than 60 per cent of India's domestic aviation market, has struggled to recalibrate its manpower to the new rules. That mismatch sent the dominoes falling - pilots short, rosters squeezed and hundreds of scheduled flights unable to get off the ground.
The airline admitted that its network has been hit significantly due to operational challenges, including technology issues, winter schedule adjustments, weather fluctuations and the revised rostering system. Cancellations in November alone crossed 1,200, and this week has shown no real signs of stability yet.
Taking to X, the airline said, "A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations), had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated," the airline said in a statement on Wednesday."
Passengers Vent Online
Much of the public anger has boiled over on X, where stranded travellers have voiced their ordeal. One wrote that they had been waiting since 3 am in Hyderabad and missed an important meeting. Another said their Udaipur-bound flight was delayed repeatedly across the day and that updates came moments before airport entry. The sentiment is familiar across airports: long queues, few answers and a sense of helplessness.
Amid the outrage, one tweet in particular - from aviation veteran Shakti Lumba, drew sharp attention to the management side of the crisis.
He blamed the Indigo and their mismanagement for the crisis. "Airlines have to accept pilot salaries are a cost of doing business: no pilots no airline: pilot shortage effect Revenue and reputation due cancelled and delayed flights , what IndiGo seems to have forgotten that it is and was when under my Command to stay ahead of Aircraft deliveries to have in hand at least 2 sets of pilots extra to cover contingencies: IndiGo in those tough days of pilot shortages 2006-2009 never had to cancel or delay flights due non availability of pilots: subsequently cost cutting became fashionable: All the low hanging fruit had been picked so they attacked the high hanging fruit: pilot salaries and increasing utilization to max limits and minimum rest," the tweet said.
This crisis also comes at a time when, Indigo's co-founder Rakesh Gangwal has almost fully walked away from the airline he helped build into one of the most profitable, efficient, and influential carriers in the world.
What You Can Do If You're Booked On IndiGo
The situation may ease in a couple of days as schedule adjustments roll out, but for now, passengers have more stress-management to do than travel.
Here are a few practical steps can help reduce the chaos on your side:
Check your flight status every couple of hours
Do not rely only on the initial confirmation mail. Schedules are shifting continuously. Use the airline tracker from Indigo's official website and app before leaving for the airport.
Check here.
- Arrive early, but not blindly early
Airports are congested, yet reaching too early for a flight that may be delayed by hours only adds to the misery. Cross-check the latest update before you leave.
- Keep an eye on SMS and email notifications
Many passengers are learning about cancellations only through digital alerts. Keeping your phone handy can save unnecessary travel to the airport.
- Have alternates in mind
If your flight is cancelled, rebook without waiting in long physical queues when possible. Look at nearby airports or alternative carriers if your schedule is time sensitive.
- Refund and rebooking rules are active
IndiGo has confirmed that affected passengers are eligible for alternate travel arrangements or refunds. If you aren't offered either immediately, request it firmly.
- Don't forget travel insurance clauses
If your policy covers delays and cancellations, keep documentation and timestamps. Compensation often applies.
IndiGo has announced calibrated schedule changes for the next 48 hours to restore stability, though aviation groups remain sceptical about whether workforce shortages can be fixed that quickly. For passengers, the key is to prepare for unpredictability rather than assume operations will snap back overnight.
READ MORE: Why IndiGo Co-Founder Quietly Left One Of The Most Profitable Airlines In The World