IndiGo flight cancellations: Delhi airport thrown into chaos, family says rebooking shot up to Rs 50k

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled over 300 domestic and international flights on Thursday, leading to widespread disruption and frustration among passengers for the third consecutive day. Some of the country’s busiest airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, were the worst affected.

At Delhi airport alone, at least 95 flights were cancelled. Mumbai saw around 85 cancellations, while Hyderabad reported 70 and Bengaluru close to 50. Several other airports across the country also faced cancellations and long delays, according to a report by PTI.

Families left stranded and helpless

Outside the departure terminal at Delhi airport on Thursday, a young couple sat with their toddler sleeping on the mother’s lap. Their flight to Mizoram had now been cancelled for the second day in a row. Despite repeated attempts, the father was unable to reach IndiGo’s customer care.

The only option offered to them was a fresh booking that would cost almost Rs 50,000, with no guarantee of confirmed seats. “We came yesterday and went back home after waiting for hours. Today it’s the same again. Our work is now getting affected,” the woman was quoted by TOI as saying.

She added that many people were worse off than them. While they could stay with relatives in Delhi, others had already paid for hotel bookings or were on tight work schedules. “Some people are tourists, some are on work trips. They don’t know what to do because all new tickets are either sold out or very expensive,” she said.

Another family travelling with elderly parents shared a similar experience. They arrived at the airport early in the morning after being informed that their 9.45 am Patna flight had been advanced. But upon reaching the terminal, they learnt that the flight was cancelled. The next available option was close to midnight, turning their short journey into a nearly 14-hour wait.

“My wife is 80 years old. We have been here since morning. How are people expected to handle this?” the elderly man said.

Foreign tourists, arriving passengers also suffer delays

Among those affected was a Russian tourist travelling to Goa. Struggling with the language barrier, she used a translation app to communicate with airline staff after her flight was rescheduled multiple times. Summing up her experience through the app, she said: "Holiday became problem. No one explains."

It wasn’t just departing passengers who suffered. Many people who landed at Delhi airport also faced unusually long waits at baggage belts. Several said they were stuck for extended periods waiting to receive their luggage, adding to the overall confusion and discomfort.

On December 3 alone, the airline had already cancelled dozens of flights, 38 in Delhi, 42 in Bengaluru, 33 in Mumbai and 19 in Hyderabad, along with numerous delays across its network.

IndiGo admits planning failure

The main reason behind the disruption is a shortage of flight crew following the implementation of the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. These new rules, enforced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) from November 1 after a Delhi High Court directive, limit the number of night-time landings pilots can perform and increase their mandatory rest period.

In a statement, IndiGo admitted that its network had been “significantly disrupted” over the past two days and apologised to customers. The airline also informed the DGCA that it would reduce the number of flights from December 8 onwards in an attempt to stabilise operations.

However, IndiGo warned that normal services may not fully resume until February 10, 2026. The airline acknowledged that errors in planning and misjudgment while implementing the new norms had led to the current situation.