IndiGo has sought exemptions for pilot rest and duty norms till February 10, 2026, related to its night duty flights for its A320 fleet. The airline also admitted that it misjudged crew requirements under the new norms and faced planning gaps, resulting in inadequate crew availability at a time when winter weather and congestion were also affecting operations.
The definition of night duty being revised from midnight to 5 am to midnight to 6 am is rolled back temporarily. Additionally, the cap on night landing to two is also temporarily on hold.
It warned that cancellations are likely to continue for the next two to three days as part of schedule stabilisation efforts. From December 8, the airline will reduce flight operations to limit further disruption.
The development comes after IndiGo's mounting operational disruptions, resulting in lakhs of passengers stranded across airports and hundreds of flights cancelled in the last three days.
The airline was summoned by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to review the situation alongside senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and IndiGo's top management. The ministry said it is monitoring the airline's network closely after cancellations surged dramatically across the country since late November.
IndiGo Cites FDTL Transition, Crew Planning Failures
IndiGo told the DGCA that the disruptions stemmed from transitional difficulties in implementing Phase 2 of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which came into effect on November 1 following a court directive. IndiGo said that the actual number of pilots needed for FDTL Phase 2 exceeded their anticipation.
Reviewed the operations of Indigo along with senior officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA. I have instructed the DGCA and concerned officials at the Ministry to keep a close watch on the network and directed Indigo to normalize the operations at the earliest. In... pic.twitter.com/ZdqFXPOAvM
— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) December 4, 2025
Crew requirement data presented by the airline showed that after Phase 2 implementation, required staffing levels rose noticeably, particularly for night-time operations, where slot availability is limited and pilot duty time restrictions are tighter.
The new rules, designed to improve fatigue management and pilot safety, have significantly altered crew rostering patterns.
DGCA Issues Strict Compliance Orders
According to the regulator, IndiGo has been cancelling 170 to 200 flights a day, a sharp spike well above normal levels. It has issued a series of directives to IndiGo, including submission of a crew recruitment and aircraft induction roadmap, a revised plan to stabilise operations, fortnightly progress reports on improvements in crew availability and scheduling, and details of all FDTL relaxations needed to restore normal operations.
The DGCA said it will continue real-time monitoring of IndiGo's network performance and passenger-handling systems in the coming days.
DGCA Flags Inadequate Staff At Delhi Airport
As disruptions escalated, DGCA teams conducted on-ground inspections at major airports, including Delhi's Terminal 1, which saw the highest passenger impact. Inspectors found that IndiGo's passenger-handling staff was insufficient to manage the surge in stranded travellers, leading to overcrowding and delays in assistance.
The airline has now been instructed to immediately increase staff and strengthen support services across all affected terminals.
Government Orders Monitoring of Airfares, Passenger Support
The Civil Aviation Minister directed AAI to ensure all airports provide continuous support to stranded passengers. MoCA has asked DGCA to keep a close watch on airfares during the disruption period to prevent any sudden or unfair spikes.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/SUJkd5F
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