India's largest airline, IndiGo, has informed the aviation regulator that its operations, severely disrupted this week by hundreds of flight cancellations, will be fully restored by February 10, 2026. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated that the chaos, which stranded thousands of passengers for a third consecutive day on Thursday, stemmed from the airline's "misjudgement and planning gaps."
DGCA Points to Core Issue: Misjudged Crew Requirements
In an official statement, the DGCA clarified the root cause of the crisis. The regulator said the disruptions "arisen primarily from misjudgement and planning gaps" in implementing the second phase of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules. IndiGo itself acknowledged that the actual crew requirement under the new regulations exceeded its initial anticipation.
The airline briefed the DGCA, citing transitional challenges in roster planning, crew availability issues under the Phase-2 FDTL, and winter-season operational constraints. This combination led to a sharp spike in cancellations and delays across its network.
IndiGo Seeks Exemptions from New Pilot Rest Rules
To mitigate passenger inconvenience while maintaining safety, IndiGo has formally requested exemptions from specific provisions of the new FDTL rules. The key changes that have impacted operations include an increase in mandatory weekly rest for commercial pilots from 36 to 48 hours, and a reduction in permitted night landings from six to just two per week.
Specifically, IndiGo has asked for relief from the provisions concerning Flight Duty Time Limitations, the definition of night duty, and operations encroaching on night duty for its A320 fleet. The airline has requested these exemptions to be valid until February 10, 2026. The DGCA confirmed that this request is currently under consideration.
Path to Normalcy: More Cancellations Before Stabilisation
IndiGo has assured the DGCA that corrective actions are underway. However, passengers should brace for continued disruptions in the immediate term. The airline stated that more cancellations will continue for the next 2–3 days as part of its schedule stabilisation efforts.
As part of its plan to minimise widespread disruption, IndiGo will proactively reduce its flight operations starting December 8. The airline's final goal is to achieve normalised and stable operations across its entire network by the February 2026 deadline it has provided to the regulator.
