IndiGo cancels 60 flights from Bengaluru, 36 from Chennai, as crisis enters 10th day

Bengaluru: Crisis-hit IndiGo cancelled 60 flights from Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday, as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) intensified its oversight following widespread service disruptions.
The crisis, entering its tenth day, has been linked to planning failures in implementing new pilot and crew duty norms.

Of the cancellations, 32 were arrivals and 28 departures. The move comes a day after the airline grounded 220 flights across Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, with Delhi alone accounting for 137 cancellations.

IndiGo also cancelled 36 flights at Chennai Airport on Thursday, comprising 24 departures and 12 arrivals, the airport announced in a statement on X.

IndiGo, however, maintained that its operations were stabilising, as reported by Hindustan Times. The airline claimed that it is now operating over 1,900 flights connecting 138 destinations” and that their “commitment to operational excellence has led to significant efficiency gains”, according to the report.

Meanwhile, DGCA has summoned IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer, Pieter Elbers, to present a detailed report on the disruptions, including data and updates, later on Thursday.

IndiGo Chairman Vikram Mehta, speaking publicly for the first time in ten days, apologised for the chaos and attributed the crisis to a mix of “unanticipated” internal and external factors. 

While other Indian carriers also faced similar external pressures, their operations remained largely unaffected.

Staff shortage under DGCA scrutiny

IndiGo, however, has been hit by a sharp decline in pilot strength, losing 378 pilots in the past nine months. This comes despite earlier assurances from its Chief Operating Officer, Isidro Porqueras, who had told DGCA last December that the new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms would only require a 3 per cent increase in crew.

Parliamentary records show IndiGo employed 5,463 pilots as of March 2025, but the figure had dropped to 5,085 by December, according to Civil Aviation Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol.

In response, DGCA has stationed personnel at IndiGo’s Gurgaon headquarters to closely monitor cancellations, crew deployment, unplanned leave and routes affected by staff shortages. An oversight team comprising eight senior captains and government officials will submit daily reports to the regulator.

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has blamed IndiGo’s troubles on what it termed a “prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy”, including a hiring freeze, non-poaching arrangements, pilot pay freezes and other short-sighted practices. Despite having a two-year window to prepare for the FDTL changes, the union alleged that IndiGo failed to adequately provision staff, leaving it uniquely vulnerable to disruption.

(With PTI inputs)