IndiGo Aviation Crisis: Amidst continuous delays and cancellations, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu will review the situation and issue a statement today (12 PM).
Amidst the sudden operational crisis at IndiGo, the country’s leading airline—which has resulted in continuous flight delays and cancellations—Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu will hold review meetings and issue a statement today at 12 PM regarding the problems that have persisted since Saturday/Sunday. In this article, we explore the situation, the reasons behind the problem, what the government and the airline have said, and what might happen next.
Background of the Crisis
- IndiGo, the country’s largest domestic airline with approximately 60-65% market share in India, had been struggling to cope with rapidly increasing demand and the burden of winter flights over the past few months.
- New pilot and crew “Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL)” rules, implemented in 2025, mandated increased rest periods for pilots and flight crew—limiting night landings and extended duty hours.
- The government and the regulatory body DGCA had instructed a phased implementation. IndiGo initially successfully implemented the first phase in July 2025.
- However, after the full implementation of the rules from November 1, 2025—especially due to limitations on night landings and crew shifting—the airline faced difficulties in creating new flight schedules. There was a shortage of pilots and crew; the airline failed in new recruitment and shift management.
Operational Disruption: A Series of Delays and Cancellations
- Significant disruptions to domestic flights began even before December. In November 2025 alone, IndiGo reported 1,232 flights as cancelled or affected.
- But the crisis deepened in recent weeks: hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed almost every day. Major airports—Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc.—witnessed massive crowds of passengers and considerable inconvenience. * In just a few days, the travel plans of thousands of passengers (reportedly more than 5-6 lakh) were affected.
- This failure also caused the airline’s on-time performance (OTP) to drop — from a typical 80%+ in October to around 67.7% in November, and even lower in December.
Government and DGCA Response — Minister Ram Mohan Naidu’s Stance
- Seeing the situation worsen on December 4-5, the government and DGCA became active. A review and swift investigation were initiated.
- On December 8, in Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Minister Ram Mohan Naidu clarified that there was a “serious deficiency” in the airline’s internal crew rostering and operational planning; he stated that the problem was not due to “aircraft maintenance” or technical fault, but rather due to IndiGo’s negligence.
- He warned that if the airline is found at fault, strict action will be taken — setting an “example for every airline.”
- In this regard, the DGCA has stated that “some slots” (flight times/permissions) of IndiGo’s flights will be cut — possibly 5% — and those slots will be allocated to other airlines.
- Keeping passenger convenience in mind, the Minister has instructed IndiGo to process refunds within 24 hours and baggage claims within 48 hours.
- The Minister also reiterated: “There will be no compromise on safety. Compliance with CAR rules is mandatory.”
- The government has also decided that IndiGo’s full schedule will not be approved this winter — its winter schedule will be curtailed; this will reduce the operational burden and provide opportunities for other airlines.
Airline’s Explanation and Responsibility
- IndiGo has stated that the flight cancellations and delays were not solely due to FDTL rules — technical issues, weather, airport traffic, and the increased winter schedule were also contributing factors.
- The airline is offering apologies, refunds, and rescheduling options to passengers. * In addition, IndiGo has formed a crisis management team that is working to stabilize operations quickly and prevent a recurrence of such failures in the future.
Current Challenges and Questions
- Passenger trust has been broken — with overnight waits in many locations, misplaced baggage, delayed refunds, and unnecessary inconvenience.
- Opposition parties and critics have stated that this incident demonstrates how a problem can affect the entire aviation chain when an airline has such a large market share; this has been termed a failure of the “monopoly model.”
- If the government and the airline do not implement sufficient improvements in pilot/crew scheduling, shift planning, crew recruitment, etc., in the future, similar disruptions could occur again.
- Regaining passenger trust will not be easy, especially for those whose travel plans were disrupted.
Today’s Review — What to Expect
At 12 PM today, Minister Ram Mohan Naidu is expected to:
- Provide a detailed account of the entire situation — including canceled flights, delays, baggage claims, and refund status.
- Determine what kind of legal or regulatory action the DGCA and the government intend to take — whether it be license reduction, slot reduction, or other restrictions.
- Reiterate the commitment to prioritizing the safety of airlines and passengers and announce measures to prevent such disruptions in the future.
- Send a message to the entire aviation sector — “No airline can take regulations and passenger grievances lightly.”