IndiGo, India's largest airline, has issued a comprehensive public apology and confirmed the cancellation of all its domestic departures from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) for the entire day of Friday, December 5, 2025. This drastic step comes as the carrier struggles with massive operational disruptions that have crippled its network for several days.
IndiGo's Official Statement and Passenger Relief Measures
In an official communication, the airline expressed deep regret for the ongoing crisis. IndiGo stated it understands the severe difficulties passengers have faced and acknowledged that a resolution will not be immediate. The airline promised to use all available resources to assist affected travelers and restore normal operations swiftly.
The statement identified December 5th as the day with the highest number of cancellations, a move aimed at enabling a "progressive improvement." To mitigate passenger hardship, IndiGo announced a full waiver on cancellation and rescheduling fees for all bookings for travel between December 5 and December 15, 2025.
Furthermore, the airline has arranged thousands of hotel rooms across various cities along with surface transport for stranded passengers. It also directed customers to its AI assistant, 6Eskai, for help with flight status, refunds, and rebookings, and highlighted a significant expansion of its contact centre capacity to reduce wait times.
Regulatory Appeal and Scale of Disruption
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) intervened in the situation, appealing to the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) and pilots for their full cooperation. The regulator cited the cascading effect of IndiGo's operational constraints, combined with unpredictable weather and rising seasonal demand, as causes for the significant strain on the aviation sector.
The DGCA confirmed that over 500 IndiGo flights were delayed or cancelled on Friday alone, causing widespread inconvenience nationwide. It warned of greater challenges ahead with the approaching fog season, peak holidays, and the wedding travel period, urging the industry to prepare.
On-Ground Reality at Airports
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) officially confirmed that all IndiGo domestic flights departing from Delhi until midnight (23:59 hours) on December 5 were cancelled. DIAL assured that its teams are working with partners to manage the disruption.
Separately, sources reported that IndiGo also cancelled all departing flights from Chennai airport until 6 pm on the same day. The airline's on-time performance plummeted to a mere 8.5% amidst the chaos, underlining the severity of the operational breakdown.
The airline concluded its apology with a commitment to incremental progress and a pledge to earn back passenger trust, stating, "We will do everything to earn back your trust... We can't lose it at any cost." The situation remains fluid, with passengers advised to check for ongoing updates.
