After a week of severe operational turbulence that left thousands of passengers stranded across the country, India’s largest airline, IndiGo, showed signs of returning to normalcy on Friday. The carrier operated over 2,000 flights under a revised “scaled-down” schedule, adhering to a government directive to cut its capacity by 10 per cent.
The stabilisation comes as a relief to air travellers after days of mass cancellations and delays that began in early December, primarily driven by pilot rostering issues and the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
Operations Returning to Normal
According to the airline, operations have largely stabilised. On Friday, December 12, IndiGo operated over 2,000 flights, a significant improvement from the peak of the crisis when daily cancellations soared past 500.
“Demonstrating continuous operational normalisation and stability since the last four days, IndiGo is set to operate over 2,000 flights today, as per its revised scaled-down schedule. All our 138 operational destinations are connected, and our on-time performance has been consistently normal,” the airline said in a statement.
The 10 per cent reduction in the winter schedule—ordered by the Ministry of Civil Aviation—was implemented to ensure the airline’s schedule matched its available crew resources. Under the original winter schedule approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo was permitted over 2,100 daily departures. The current cap is intended to prevent last-minute cancellations that cause chaos at airports.
DGCA Cracks Down, Suspends Officials
While the airline works to restore its schedule, the aviation regulator has taken strict action. On Friday, the DGCA suspended four flight operations inspectors. These officials were reportedly responsible for monitoring the safety and operational standards of the airline.
The regulator has also intensified its oversight, with officials now stationed at IndiGo’s headquarters in Gurugram to monitor operations, refunds, and passenger facilitation on a daily basis.
External Experts Roped In
Acknowledging the severity of the breakdown, IndiGo’s Board has approved the appointment of an external aviation consultancy to conduct a “root cause analysis” of the disruption.
The airline has engaged Chief Aviation Advisors LLC, a US-based firm led by veteran aviation expert Captain John Illson. Captain Illson, who has over 40 years of experience with global bodies like the FAA and ICAO, will lead the independent review to identify the gaps in planning and rostering that led to the collapse of the network.
Government Under Fire
The handling of the crisis has also drawn political and judicial scrutiny. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the Central government’s delayed intervention, asking why authorities allowed the situation to “precipitate” before stepping in. Opposition leaders have also criticized the government, alleging that the monopoly of a single carrier has left passengers vulnerable to such disruptions.
For now, passengers can expect a more predictable schedule, though airfares on certain routes remain high due to the reduced capacity during the peak travel season.
