The Indian aviation sector is reeling from an unprecedented operational crisis, with the country's largest carrier, IndiGo, at its epicenter. As of December 5, 2025, the airline has cancelled more than 2,100 flights across the nation, leading to chaotic scenes at airports and immense hardship for passengers. This massive disruption has exposed critical flaws in planning and raised serious questions about market competition and consumer protection in India's skies.
The Scale of the Chaos: Stranded Passengers and Plummeting Performance
Airports have descended into disarray, with viral videos capturing the frustration of stranded travellers confronting overwhelmed airline staff. The cancellations are just one part of the problem. IndiGo's hallmark on-time performance (OTP) has catastrophically collapsed, dropping to a mere 8.5% on Thursday, December 5. This is a staggering fall from 19.7% and 35% in the preceding two days, and a world away from its usual standard of over 80%.
The financial and emotional toll on consumers is colossal. On Friday alone, 1,000 flights were axed. With an average of 160 passengers per flight, this left approximately 1,60,000 people stranded in a single day. Many were forced to rebook at surge prices, while others had to abandon trips entirely, crystallising losses on connected travel, hotel bookings, and event tickets. Delays stretching six to eight hours translated into huge productivity losses. Beyond the tangible costs lies the incalculable emotional turmoil—missed family weddings, lost job interviews, and the relentless anxiety of uncertain wait times.
The Root Cause: A Foreseeable Failure in Planning
How did India's most efficient airline, operating over 2,000 daily flights, stumble so badly? While IndiGo initially cited a "perfect storm" of new safety rules, weather, and technical issues, the primary driver is the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules. Mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and set for full implementation on November 1, 2025, these rules are designed to combat pilot fatigue by strictly regulating work hours and rest periods.
IndiGo has admitted it failed to plan adequately for these changes, resulting in severe pilot and crew shortages. This admission strains credulity, given the airline had a lead time of over 12 months to prepare for this entirely foreseeable regulatory shift. The failure of the dominant market leader to mitigate this risk is a glaring lapse in operational management.
Lack of Alternatives and the Need for Accountability
The crisis underscores a harsh reality of Indian aviation: the severe lack of choice for consumers. IndiGo commands a 65% market share, meaning two out of every three domestic flyers are on its planes. This near-monopoly power means passengers, however aggrieved, may have no option but to fly IndiGo again for future travel due to the absence of viable alternatives. This lack of competition is a fundamental cause of the current scenario.
Economist Anupam Manur of the Takshashila Institution argues that providing regulatory exemptions to IndiGo would be a "horrible outcome" that rewards errant behaviour. He calls for proportionate repercussions. In advanced economies, markets and courts provide checks. Customers would switch airlines, and companies would face costly class-action lawsuits for wilful negligence. In India, however, both recourses are weak. The market lacks alternatives, and the legal system disincentivises class-action suits that could impose meaningful punitive damages.
The path forward requires a multi-pronged approach: holding the airline accountable for its planning failure, urgently reviewing policies to foster greater market competition—potentially by allowing foreign carriers on domestic routes—and strengthening legal frameworks to empower passengers. The IndiGo meltdown is more than a temporary disruption; it is a stark warning about the vulnerabilities in India's aviation ecosystem.
