Why IndiGo Is Trending: The Full Story Behind Flight Cancellations & Passenger Chaos in India

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Over the last few days, IndiGo — India’s largest airline — has been trending heavily on Google. Travellers, journalists, and industry experts are all searching for one thing: What went wrong?

From sudden flight cancellations to nationwide delays, major airports across India have been hit with unprecedented travel chaos. For our readers at Trek Dham, here is the complete, simplified explanation of why this is happening and what passengers should know.

1. What Triggered the IndiGo Chaos?

New Government Rules on Pilot Rest (FDTL Norms)

This is the biggest reason behind the disruption.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) introduced stricter Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules for pilots and crew from November 1. These rules are designed to improve safety by reducing pilot fatigue.

The changes include:

  • Longer mandatory rest hours
  • Fewer night landings per pilot
  • Shorter maximum duty hours
  • Stricter limits on back-to-back flights

These rules made many of IndiGo’s old crew schedules invalid overnight.

IndiGo operates more flights than any other Indian airline, so the rule change hit it much harder.

2. Why IndiGo Faced More Trouble Than Other Airlines

IndiGo runs 2,000+ flights every single day, including many late-evening and night flights. Because of this:

  • They need a huge number of pilots and cabin crew
  • Their schedules are tightly packed
  • Even a small shortage causes a big chain reaction

Along with this, several reports claim IndiGo had been following a lean-manpower strategy — meaning fewer backup pilots and limited spare crew. So, once the new rules came in, many flights had no legally eligible crew available.

This alone led to dozens of last-minute cancellations.

3. The Perfect Storm: Multiple Factors Came Together

The new crew-rest rules were the main trigger, but many other issues happened simultaneously:

• Crew shortage

Not enough pilots to operate the scheduled flights.

• Winter fog & poor weather

North Indian airports saw visibility drops, causing delays which further disrupted crew schedules.

• Airport congestion

Especially in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad — delays caused more delays.

• Technical issues in some aircraft

Even minor technical faults caused cancellations because backup crew and aircraft were not available.

Together, these created a domino effect, and hundreds of flights got delayed or cancelled.

4. How Many Flights Have Been Affected?

Based on recent official and media reports:

  • 70+ flights cancelled in a single day across major airports
  • 200+ flights delayed or cancelled within 48 hours
  • Some airports saw OTP (On-Time Performance) drop to 35%, the lowest in years
  • In November alone, IndiGo reportedly cancelled more than 1,200 flights

Thousands of passengers across India have been stranded at airports, leading to long queues, frustration, and widespread complaints.

5. What the DGCA (Aviation Regulator) Is Doing

With so many cancellations happening daily, DGCA has taken action:

  • Initiated a formal investigation
  • Asked IndiGo to submit a mitigation plan
  • Ordered them to adjust their staffing and scheduling
  • Monitoring airport-wise delays closely

DGCA made it clear that passenger inconvenience cannot be ignored and the airline must stabilize operations immediately.

6. IndiGo’s Response

IndiGo has publicly apologized and stated that:

  • They faced “operational challenges due to new duty-time regulations, weather, and congestion.”
  • They are “working to normalize schedules in the next 48 hours.”
  • Some routes are being temporarily reorganized to reduce the burden on crew.

The airline says their goal is to restore punctuality as fast as possible.

7. What This Means for Travellers (Important for Your Readers)

If you have an upcoming trip, especially during the winter months, here are some practical tips:

• Check your flight status regularly

Use the airline app or website, especially 6–12 hours before departure.

• Avoid tight connections

Give 3–4 hours buffer between connecting flights or trains.

• Prefer daytime flights

Night flights are more likely to face issues because of the new rules.

• If your flight is cancelled

You are entitled to a free rebooking or refund.

• Keep travel documents handy

Screenshots of booking, payment, and cancellation messages can help.

8. Will This Happen Again?

The situation should stabilize soon, but experts warn:

  • If airlines do not increase hiring
  • Or reorganize their night-flight schedules
  • Or build more operational buffer

…similar disruptions may happen again — especially during peak travel seasons.

IndiGo is planning to hire more pilots and adjust future timetables, so long-term recovery looks possible.

Conclusion

IndiGo is trending because India’s most trusted airline suddenly faced a massive operational crisis triggered by new crew-rest rules, existing staffing shortages, and winter operational challenges. This combination created widespread cancellations and delays across the country.

For travellers, staying informed, planning buffer time, and checking flight status regularly can minimize inconvenience.

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FAQ 1: Why is IndiGo trending today?

Because hundreds of IndiGo flights have been cancelled or delayed due to new DGCA crew-rest rules, pilot shortages, weather issues, and operational failures.

FAQ 2: What are the new FDTL rules affecting IndiGo?

FDTL rules increase mandatory pilot rest time, reduce night landings, and limit maximum duty hours, causing crew shortage and schedule disruptions.

FAQ 3: How many IndiGo flights got cancelled?

In the recent wave, 70+ flights were cancelled in a day and over 1,200 flights last month, making it the largest aviation disruption this year.

FAQ 4: What should passengers do if their IndiGo flight is cancelled?

Check the app or website, request rebooking or refund, and avoid last-minute travel to the airport.

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