New Delhi: IndiGo Airlines faced one of its most disruptive days on Friday, cancelling over a thousand flights more than half of its scheduled operations prompting a public apology from CEO Pieter Elbers. Speaking to the media, Elbers described Friday as the “most severely impacted day” in the airline’s history and assured passengers that flight cancellations would drop to fewer than 1,000 on Saturday.
The CEO projected a full return to normal operations between December 10 and 15, while cautioning that recovery would take time given the airline’s massive scale of around 2,300 daily domestic and international flights. He acknowledged the considerable inconvenience caused by the disruptions and explained that multiple factors contributed to the crisis.
IndiGo attributed the cancellations to new pilot duty regulations, which increased weekly rest requirements from 36 to 48 hours and restricted nighttime landings to two per week instead of six. The airline also cited planning gaps and misjudgments as additional challenges in managing crew and aircraft schedules.
To address the crisis, Elbers outlined a three-pronged strategy. First, the airline has intensified passenger communication, sending detailed updates on cancellations, refunds, and customer support through social media and direct messaging. Call centre capacities have been expanded to provide timely assistance.
Second, IndiGo focused on reuniting stranded passengers with flights, particularly at major airports, urging travellers not to come to terminals unnecessarily as notifications are sent in real-time. Third, the airline undertook a system-wide operational reboot, realigning crews and aircraft to ensure smoother departures from Saturday onwards. While this led to the unprecedented cancellations on Friday, the measure is intended to facilitate progressive improvements in service.
Amid chaotic scenes at airports, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) intervened, granting IndiGo temporary relief from strict night duty rules for pilots and allowing flexibility in weekly rest period requirements. Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that a high-level inquiry will be conducted to determine accountability and prevent such disruptions in the future.
Elbers concluded by expressing regret for the inconvenience and reaffirmed IndiGo’s commitment to restoring normalcy while prioritizing passenger safety and service quality.