New Delhi: The ongoing operational crisis at IndiGo, India’s largest low-cost airline, has escalated tensions in the aviation sector, prompting the Union government to adopt a firmer stance against the carrier. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday attributed the flight disruptions affecting millions of passengers across the country to “gross mismanagement” by the airline and deficiencies in its internal crew rostering system. The remarks came amid continued cancellations and delays that have drawn intense criticism from passengers, industry stakeholders, and regulators alike.

Naidu described the situation as “shocking” during an interview with India Today on the Agenda AajTak programme. He emphasized that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is not relying solely on IndiGo’s explanations but is conducting an independent inquiry through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). “The crisis was a result of gross mismanagement by IndiGo only. There were issues with their internal crew rostering system, which could have been avoided had the airline complied with the new norms under the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) guidelines,” the minister said. He questioned why the airline had imposed a freeze on hiring pilots for six months, noting that the lack of adequate pilot recruitment was a significant factor in the operational meltdown.

Data presented in Parliament earlier this week highlighted how IndiGo’s lean operational model contributed to the crisis. Between March and December, the airline’s pilot strength decreased by 7 percent, even as it scheduled a 6 percent increase in flights for the winter season compared to the summer schedule. For decades, IndiGo has relied on a business model built around aggressive scheduling and maximum night-flight utilization. While this approach previously contributed to the airline’s high on-time performance statistics, it proved unsustainable following the introduction of stricter safety regulations that mandated extended weekly rest periods for pilots.

The crisis became evident on December 2, when IndiGo, which operates approximately 2,300 daily flights, cancelled over 100 flights. Between December 2 and December 9, an estimated 5,500 flights were cancelled, while many other flights were delayed, primarily affecting domestic routes. International operations were relatively unaffected, as the airline focused resources on maintaining global connectivity. The disruptions left millions of passengers stranded at airports, struggling to obtain refunds, and scrambling to locate misdirected baggage. The airline’s lack of transparency during the period further exacerbated the frustration of travelers, drawing sharp criticism from the public and the media.

In an effort to stabilize operations, the DGCA on December 5 granted IndiGo temporary exemptions concerning pilot duty hours for its Airbus A320 fleet during night flights. The regulator also allowed the airline to count pilot leave as part of weekly rest periods and permitted the recall of pilots deputed elsewhere to meet operational requirements. While these exemptions aimed to provide short-term relief and improve operational continuity, they were met with criticism from industry experts and pilots, who warned that the measures could compromise safety. The DGCA clarified that the exemptions were intended solely to facilitate operational stabilization and did not dilute safety regulations.

The government and the DGCA intensified their oversight of IndiGo in response to the worsening situation. On Wednesday, the regulator deployed an eight-member team of senior flight operations inspectors to assess the airline’s fleet, pilot strength, crew utilization, and network operations. A separate two-member team stationed at IndiGo’s corporate office was tasked with monitoring flight cancellations, on-time performance, refund processing, and baggage handling. Both teams are required to submit daily reports to ensure continuous monitoring of the airline’s recovery efforts. In parallel, the government trimmed IndiGo’s winter schedule by 10 percent, a reduction expected to remove approximately 220 flights per day from the airline’s timetable.

Amid the scrutiny, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers appeared before the DGCA on Wednesday to provide explanations for the operational disruptions. The meeting lasted over an hour, during which the DGCA sought detailed information on the airline’s scheduling, crew deployment, and contingency measures. Officials confirmed that Elbers would return on Friday for further discussions before the DGCA’s four-member committee. Other airlines were also consulted regarding the capacity to handle additional operations that IndiGo could no longer accommodate. A decision on slot allocations is expected in the coming days, with the DGCA likely to implement measures to ensure a balanced distribution of flights across carriers to mitigate passenger impact.

In addition to regulatory oversight, IndiGo announced compensation measures for passengers severely affected during the period of December 3–5. The airline committed to providing travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 to impacted customers, valid for any future journey on IndiGo for the next twelve months. These vouchers are intended to supplement the airline’s existing obligations under government-mandated passenger protection guidelines. Travelers who booked through third-party platforms were advised to coordinate with the booking partner for refunds, while IndiGo requested passengers to contact its customer experience team for assistance in cases where the airline did not have complete booking information. A spokesperson for the airline stated, “IndiGo regrettably acknowledges that part of our customers travelling on 3/4/5 December 2025 were stranded for many hours at certain airports and a number of them were severely impacted due to congestion. We will offer travel vouchers worth INR 10,000 to such severely impacted customers. These travel vouchers can be used for any future IndiGo journey for the next 12 months.”

The airline’s handling of the crisis has attracted scrutiny not only from regulators but also from the judiciary. The Delhi High Court recently questioned the government’s role in allowing airfares to surge during the disruption and why other airlines were permitted to exploit the situation. In response, the Ministry of Civil Aviation imposed temporary caps on airfares, ranging from ₹7,500 for routes up to 500 km, ₹12,000 for flights between 500 and 1,000 km, ₹15,000 for flights between 1,000 and 1,500 km, and ₹18,000 for routes exceeding 1,500 km, excluding taxes and airport fees. The caps are intended to remain in effect until the IndiGo crisis is fully resolved.

Analysts have noted that the crisis at IndiGo exposes vulnerabilities inherent in airlines that rely on lean staffing models and aggressive operational scheduling. The combination of reduced pilot strength, overextended schedules, and regulatory changes regarding flight duty hours created a perfect storm that left millions of passengers stranded. The airline’s delayed response and lack of transparent communication further compounded the impact, drawing widespread public and media attention.

While the DGCA and government continue to monitor the situation closely, the airline faces ongoing pressure to restore regular operations and rebuild trust with passengers. In addition to the operational and reputational challenges, IndiGo may also face financial repercussions, including potential fines and penalties from regulators for failing to maintain operational reliability.

Civil Aviation Minister Naidu reiterated the government’s commitment to passenger safety and operational accountability. He emphasized that the ministry is independently assessing the situation through DGCA investigations and is not relying solely on the airline’s explanations. The ministry has been actively coordinating with the regulator to ensure that IndiGo implements corrective measures and strengthens its operational planning to prevent future disruptions.

The IndiGo crisis serves as a cautionary tale for India’s aviation industry, highlighting the risks of aggressive scheduling and minimal staffing practices in the context of increasingly stringent safety regulations. It underscores the need for airlines to balance efficiency with safety, ensure adequate crew strength, and maintain transparent communication with passengers during periods of operational stress.

As the DGCA continues its inquiry and the government maintains pressure on IndiGo’s management, travelers remain cautiously optimistic that the airline will stabilize operations and fulfill its commitments to affected passengers. Meanwhile, the situation has sparked broader debates about regulatory oversight, airline management practices, and passenger protection in India’s fast-growing aviation market.

The full resolution of the crisis is expected to take several days, as DGCA continues to monitor IndiGo’s operations closely and works with other airlines to mitigate the impact on passengers. The airline has committed to restoring normal schedules, implementing improved rostering practices, and ensuring compliance with all safety and regulatory standards, signaling a path toward recovery after one of the most significant operational disruptions in India’s civil aviation history.