New Delhi: India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is facing renewed pressure after a major flight cancellation crisis that affected thousands of passengers across the country. The disruption has sparked concern among government officials, aviation experts, and travelers about the risks of depending heavily on one dominant airline in a growing aviation market.
Over the past week, IndiGo cancelled more than 2,000 flights after struggling to adjust to new pilot work and rest rules introduced to improve flight safety. As a result, passengers were stranded at airports in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Many missed events, business travel, and family plans, and some were forced to take long train journeys as an alternative.
The government has taken note of the situation, with India’s aviation regulator issuing a notice to IndiGo leadership and seeking an explanation for the failure to manage staffing and scheduling ahead of the regulatory changes. While most of IndiGo’s flight network has now been restored, officials say a formal review is underway to understand why the disruptions occurred and what steps are needed to prevent similar events in the future.
The crisis has raised bigger questions about India’s aviation ecosystem. IndiGo controls about two thirds of India’s domestic market, and along with Air India, it forms what experts describe as a near duopoly. Analysts say that when one large airline faces operational trouble, the entire system becomes unstable because there are not enough other carriers to absorb the impact.
Passengers have continued to express frustration over delays and refunds. IndiGo has announced plans to compensate affected travelers and improve communication and scheduling. However, experts warn that the damage to public trust may take time to repair.
The government is now considering whether policy changes are needed to support better competition, stronger passenger protections, and more resilient aviation operations. Industry watchers say the incident may become a turning point for India’s fast growing aviation sector as it works to balance expansion with safety and reliability.
For now, IndiGo flights are largely operating as normal, but the effects of the disruption continue to echo across the industry.