IndiGo on Wednesday cancelled nearly 220 flights across Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. SpiceJet plans to add up to 100 additional daily flights during the current winter schedule, aiming to ramp up operations and ensure adequate capacity in the aviation market amid the ongoing IndiGo disruption. The development came as the government asked IndiGo to cut 10% of its flight routes, doubling an earlier order by the aviation regulator.
IndiGo operations across the country continue to remain severely disrupted After days of mammoth cancellations and operational hiccups, the airline claimed that network has been fully restored.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers and other senior departmental heads to its headquarters in Delhi on December 11, demanding a detailed explanation of the airline’s recent operational failures.
DGCA has instructed IndiGo to present comprehensive data on flight-restoration progress, pilot and cabin-crew strength, recruitment plans, number of cancelled flights, refunds processed (with turnaround times), baggage-handling performance, re-booking policies, and passenger communication mechanisms — effectively covering the full scope of the meltdown.
Since early December, IndiGo — which commands roughly 65% of India’s domestic air traffic — has cancelled and delayed a staggering number of flights.
On one of the worst days (5 December), over 1,000 flights were grounded, marking the highest single-day cancellation tally in recent aviation history.
In response to the chaos, regulators forced a cut to the airline’s schedule: initially a 5% reduction, later escalated to a 10% curtailment by government order — signalling deep loss of confidence in IndiGo’s ability to manage its operations reliably during the ongoing winter schedule.
A public interest litigation filed before Delhi High Court chastised the government for allowing other airlines to hike fares abusively — one example given: a ticket that once cost ₹5,000 reportedly ballooned to ₹39,000 amid the chaos.
All eyes now are on the meeting scheduled by DGCA on 11 December. Depending on the depth of the explanations provided, the regulator may impose penalties or mandate structural changes in crew rostering, scheduling, and passenger-service protocols.
Meanwhile, the ability of IndiGo to fully compensate affected passengers — through refunds, baggage recovery, and re-booking or vouchers — and deliver on its public commitment will be crucial to restoring trust. Delays or lapses could invite further regulatory and judicial scrutiny, and possibly trigger more systemic reforms in India’s aviation regulations.
