A shortage of pilots at IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has resulted in the cancellation of a minimum of 150 flights and delays of dozens more, leaving thousands of travellers stranded at airports including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Social media was filled with complaints as passengers faced extended waits and confusion at airport counters.
Three airport sources and an IndiGo pilot confirmed that the shortage was triggered by new government regulations aimed at combating pilot fatigue and increasing required rest periods. These rules, which came into effect in July and November, have made maintaining flight rosters significantly more complex for the carrier.
IndiGo stated its operations have been “significantly disrupted” over the past two days, with unforeseen issues such as adverse weather, increased congestion and the government’s updated crew rostering rules cited as contributing factors.
The Federation of India Pilots (FIP) blamed IndiGo’s hiring freeze and lean staffing approach for the crisis. The pilot body said, “The current disruption is the direct consequence of IndiGo’s prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy across departments, particularly in flight operations.”
FIP said, “Despite the two-year preparatory window before full Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) implementation, IndiGo inexplicably adopted a hiring freeze, entered non-poaching arrangements, maintained a pilot pay freeze through cartel-like behaviour, and demonstrated other short-sighted planning practices.” The pilots’ body warned that such cost-cutting strategies could undermine long-term safety and reliability.
The cancellations and delays were most acute in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad, with airport data showing 38, 42, 33, and 19 cancellations respectively. In November alone, IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights, indicating a broader and ongoing operational strain.
IndiGo, which operates about 2,300 flights daily and controls over 60 per cent of the domestic market, apologised to passengers and referenced a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges” as the cause of the widespread disruption. The airline added that these combined factors had a negative compounding impact on its operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, has launched a probe into the disruptions, requesting a detailed report from IndiGo on the current situation and the airline’s plans to address the issue. Meanwhile, IndiGo’s on-time performance plummeted to just 35 per cent on Tuesday, its lowest this year, compared to a typical figure above 80 per cent at major airports.
