IndiGo flight chaos enters Day 4: 700 flights cancelled in a day, worst disruption in its 20-year history | Top developments

IndiGo’s flight meltdown has now crossed 1,000 cancellations in four days, with Delhi worst hit, passengers stranded for hours, and DGCA blaming planning gaps under new FDTL rules.

All domestic IndiGo flights departing from Delhi have been cancelled until midnight, the airport announced, as the airline battles one of the worst operational meltdowns in its 20-year history. The move caps four days of chaos across IndiGo’s network, with more than 700 flights scrapped today alone and total cancellations crossing 1,000, leaving passengers stranded at major hubs, fares on rival airlines surging, and regulators turning up the heat.

IndiGo has cancelled all departures from Delhi till 23:59 on Friday, plunging operations at IGI Airport into deeper chaos and forcing hundreds of passengers to scramble for alternatives. The airline, which normally runs around 235 departures a day from the capital, has also scrapped all departures from Chennai till 6 pm, leaving travellers with little choice but to wait, rebook or hunt for last-minute seats on other carriers.

Also Read | IndiGo chaos made ‘FDTL’ a buzzword. What pilot duty rules are and why DGCA tightened them

Here are the top developments in the IndiGo flight chaos:

IndiGo scrubs all Chennai departures till 6 pm: In another blow to travellers, all IndiGo departures from Chennai have been cancelled till 6 pm on Friday. The move adds to the nationwide disruption triggered by the airline’s large-scale schedule cuts, forcing passengers in yet another metro to wait out the shutdown or pay more for last-minute seats on other carriers.

IndiGo cancels all departures from Delhi for the day: IndiGo has cancelled all departures from Delhi till 23:59 on Friday, deepening the chaos at IGI Airport as passengers were informed of a blanket shutdown through the day. The airline typically operates around 235 departures daily from the capital, leaving hundreds of flyers scrambling to rebook or find alternate options.

Mumbai airport cancels 32 IndiGo flights; one sector diverted to Hyderabad: IndiGo flight cancellations live: Mumbai airport saw major disruption to IndiGo operations, with 32 flights, 16 arrivals and 16 departures, cancelled between 12 am and 8 am, airport authorities said. In a related impact, a Nagpur–Pune IndiGo flight was diverted to Hyderabad, Pune Airport Director confirmed, as operational challenges continued to hit schedules across multiple airports.

Over 1,000 flights cancelled in four days: IndiGo, which controls around 60 percent of India’s domestic market, has cancelled more than 1,000 flights this week as its network continues to unravel.

DGCA blames IndiGo’s 'misjudgment and planning gaps': After a briefing from IndiGo, the DGCA issued a sharp statement saying the disruptions had “arisen primarily from misjudgment and planning gaps in implementing Phase 2 of the Flight Duty Time Limitations”, adding that IndiGo itself had accepted that actual crew requirement exceeded its anticipation.

Relief not immediate: full normalisation only by February 10, 2026

• IndiGo has conveyed to DGCA that: More cancellations can be expected till December 8
• Even after that, there will be a 'significant reduction' in services for a period
• Full restoration of operations is expected only by February 10, 2026

That means weeks of a thinner IndiGo schedule and sustained pressure on fares.

New pilot duty rules at the heart of the crisis: The airline has linked the disruption to the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which came into effect on November 1.

IndiGo has told authorities that its requirement for pilots-in-command has shot up under the new regime, and its planning fell short.

Passengers stranded for hours, complain of chaos and lack of support: At Delhi’s IGI Airport, advocate Shweta Kapoor told PTI that her IndiGo flight was rescheduled multiple times before being cancelled; check-ins were happening but IndiGo counters weren’t functioning properly, baggage wasn’t returned after cancellations, and 'people were shouting.'

At another airport, passenger Abhishek Chauhan told ANI he had been stuck for 10–12 hours after his Ahmedabad–Varanasi flight was cancelled, with neither water nor food provided, and noted that rebooking was nearly impossible as other airlines had 'doubled or tripled' fares. IndiGo has apologised twice, but public anger and regulatory scrutiny continue to rise as the disruption stretches on.

Priyanka Chaturvedi pushes for IndiGo crisis statement in Rajya Sabha: IndiGo cancellations live: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has moved a notice under Rule 180 in the Rajya Sabha, urging Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to make a formal statement on the IndiGo disruptions. Naidu has already reviewed the situation and asked DGCA to keep a close watch on the airline’s operations.