IndiGo grounds all Delhi departures amid deepening nationwide flight disruption

India’s largest airline has halted all departures from Delhi until midnight after days of mass cancellations, leaving thousands stranded. With regulators tightening oversight, IndiGo warns more disruptions are likely and full normalisation may take until February 2026.

IndiGo has suspended all domestic departures from Delhi until 23:59 on Friday (December 5), marking one of the airline’s most severe operational breakdowns in its two-decade history. The decision followed four consecutive days of large-scale disruptions that have crippled schedules nationwide, stranded passengers across major airports, and pushed airfares on rival carriers to unexpected highs.

The airline, which typically operates more than 230 daily departures from Delhi, acknowledged that widespread cancellations were unavoidable as it struggled to stabilise its network. Chennai operations were also hit, with all departures cancelled until 6 p.m., leaving travellers across two major metros scrambling for alternatives.

Major airports hit; Over 1,000 flights scrapped in four days

The cascading impact of IndiGo’s meltdown was visible at airports across the country. Mumbai reported 32 cancellations—split evenly between arrivals and departures—during the early hours of Friday. In one instance, a Nagpur–Pune sector was diverted to Hyderabad as operational challenges continued to ripple through the airline’s network.

Industry estimates suggest that more than 1,000 IndiGo flights have been cancelled since the crisis began earlier this week. As India’s largest domestic carrier with a market share of nearly 60 percent, the airline’s disruption has severely squeezed capacity, sending fares soaring and forcing many passengers to abandon travel plans entirely.

DGCA flags ‘planning gaps’; Airline cites pilot duty norms

The aviation regulator took a strong stance on Friday, stating that IndiGo’s crisis stemmed from “misjudgment and planning gaps” in rolling out the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which became effective on November 1. According to the DGCA, IndiGo admitted that its pilot-in-command requirement had “exceeded original estimates,” resulting in a sharp mismatch between crew availability and scheduled operations.

The airline has warned that cancellations may continue until December 8, followed by a period of reduced services. A full restoration of operations is expected only by February 10, 2026, suggesting prolonged strain on India’s domestic aviation system.

Passengers stranded for hours as political pressure mounts

Scenes of frustration erupted at Delhi’s IGI Airport, where passengers said flights were repeatedly rescheduled and cancelled without adequate communication or support. Some travellers complained of no access to water, food, or baggage, while others said counters were understaffed despite long queues.

Opposition voices have begun raising the issue in Parliament. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has submitted a notice under Rule 180 in the Rajya Sabha, urging the Civil Aviation Minister to issue a formal statement on the crisis.

As IndiGo continues damage control and regulators monitor the situation closely, passengers across the country remain uncertain about when India’s busiest airline will return to stable operations.