IndiGo Cancels 550 Flights Amid Pilot Shortages and Technical Glitches; Operations Normalization by February 2026

New Delhi: IndiGo has cancelled 550 flights over the past three days citng various operational challenges. The airline has approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requesting temporary relaxations in flight duty time regulations. IndiGo apologized to passengers for the inconvenience and stated that it expects operations to return to normal by February 2026.

Passengers, however, have complained about inadequate information and insufficient facilities during the disruptions. Many also reported increase in flight tickets following the cancellations.

The airline acknowledged that service disruptions were caused by planning gaps in implementing the second phase of flight duty time regulations. IndiGo also warned that additional cancellations could occur until December 8. The cancellations were primarily due to staff shortages, including pilots, technical issues, and errors in scheduling flight duty times, leaving many passengers stranded at airports.

Nearly 200 flights were cancelled across major airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.

In addition to domestic flights, some international services were also cancelled. IndiGo operates around 2,300 flights daily across domestic and international routes. The disruptions and delays have also affected other airlines’ operations, as staff shortages continue after the rollout of the second phase of flight duty regulations.