IndiGo Flight Chaos Explained: Why Over 1,000 Flights Were Cancelled and What Passengers Can Claim Now

IndiGo’s massive nationwide cancellations were caused by new crew duty rules, operational glitches, and winter delays. Thousands of passengers were stranded, but the airline now promises full refunds and free rescheduling. Operations are expected to stabilise between December 10 and 15.

Post Published By: Karan Sharma

Updated : 7 December 2025, 3:15 PM IST

Big crisis of IndiGo flight cancellation

New Delhi: Last week, there was panic at airports across the country when more than a thousand Indigo flights were suddenly canceled or badly delayed. Due to this, weddings, office meetings, family functions and foreign trips of thousands of passengers were affected.

Many passengers were also seen crying at the airport. Such videos quickly went viral on social media.

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Why did all this happen? What were the technical and operational reasons behind this? What are the rights of passengers? And how to get refund? Let us understand the whole matter in detail.

Why were so many IndiGo flights cancelled?

The main reason was the implementation of new FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) rules, which increased the restrictions on pilots' duty.
Due to these rules:

• It became mandatory to give more rest to pilots
• Their duty hours limited in night flights
• The number of pilots suddenly decreased

IndiGo, however, said the problem was not just due to pilots' rules and regulations but also due to "operational challenges", "technical glitches", "winter schedule" and "airport congestion".

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Is this a long-term problem?

No, this is a temporary problem. Indigo said that the situation will become normal between 10 and 15 December. CEO Peter Albers acknowledged that it will take a few days to fully stabilize.

What are the new DGCA rules? (FDTL Norms)

First phase (effective from July 1):

• Pilots' weekly rest increased from 36 hours to 48 hours
• Leave cannot be substituted for weekly rest.

Second phase (effective from November 1):

• Pilots can operate flights only twice a week between 12 midnight and 6 am
• Night landing limit reduced from 6 to 2
• This meant that the airline started needing more pilots.

How did the crisis worsen?

Indigo increased the number of flights in its winter schedule from October 26. At the same time new FDTL limits went into effect. Many pilots went on mandatory rest as per rules. Airbus A320 software alert causes further flight delays

As soon as flights crossed midnight — they turned into straight cancellations. The government has formed a 4-member committee to probe and has also “temporarily suspended” the FDTL rules till February 2026—only for IndiGo for now.

What are your rights if your flight is cancelled?

If flight cancellation notice: Met less than 2 weeks ago, but met up to 24 hours ago. So the airline will have to give you a full refund or the facility of another flight.

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Will IndiGo give full refund?

Yes.

Indigo announced:

• Automatic refund of all canceled flights
• No cancellation/re-schedule charges for travel between 5th to 15th December
• The government also ordered that all pending refunds be settled by 8 pm on December 7.

Can I extend my journey?

Yes.

• Re-scheduling is completely free
• There will be no extra charge for tickets from 5th to 15th December

When will the situation become normal?

According to Indigo, the network will start becoming stable by December 10, and the situation will become normal by December 15.