New duty norms, crew gaps and winter congestion lead to widespread cancellations, stranding flyers in J&K and major metros
DGCA steps in as Srinagar, Jammu and major airports witness severe disruption, high fares, and pressure on other airlines
Tightened pilot rest rules and rostering failures spark mass cancellations, prompting regulatory oversight and partial recovery attempts
Thousands stranded, airfares spike, and flights from Srinagar and Jammu drastically cut amid DGCA scrutiny and temporary rule relaxations
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Jammu: IndiGo — India’s largest airline — is facing a major operational breakdown driven by crew rostering and pilot shortage issues compounded by recently implemented safety rules that tightened pilot duty and rest norms. This has led to hundreds of flight cancellations, delays, and passengers stranded across the country. The airline cancelled thousands of flights, causing massive disruptions in early December 2025. New pilot rest and flight duty limitation rules increased minimum rest periods and limited night operations, reducing crew availability at peak times. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has deployed oversight teams and implemented temporary relaxations of some rules to stabilize operations. J&K has been significantly affected because IndiGo operates many flights connecting the region with major cities.Dozens of flights from Srinagar and Jammu airports were cancelled due to crew availability; 7–10 flights were cancelled on several days for each airport. Hundreds of passengers were stranded at J&K airports, facing extended waits with limited alternatives. Partial restoration of services has occurred, but some key flights (e.g., to Mumbai and Hyderabad) remain suspended as the situation stabilizes. Many travellers heading for holidays, medical visits, work, and weddings were stuck with little warning or help. Alternative travel options (like rail or other airlines) remain limited or oversubscribed due to the scale of cancelled IndiGo flights.Mass cancellations and delays affected major airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. On-time performance dropped sharply, leading to overcrowded terminals and frustrated travellers. With IndiGo’s network disrupted, passengers scrambled to book seats on other airlines, driving airfares sharply higher. Even other carriers faced pressure on schedules due to increased demand and shared airport infrastructure constraints.IndiGo trimmed its growth forecast and capacity for quarter 3 2025 due to prolonged cancellations and regulatory constraints. The airline has initiated a board-level probe and external expert review to address the root causes of the crisis. New pilot duty and rest norms introduced by DGCA aimed at reducing fatigue — increasing rest requirements and reducing night duties — have strained IndiGo’s scheduling. Crew rostering challenges and planning gaps, particularly at the start of winter schedules. Additional issues like system bottlenecks, weather, and winter congestion compounded the situation. The combination resulted in crew shortages being exposed at scale, since IndiGo’s original scheduling relied heavily on tight crew utilization and night flying. DGCA intervention: Oversight teams stationed at IndiGo offices, monitoring cancellations, crew allocation, refunds, and performance. Temporary relaxation of some FDTL norms until February 10, 2026, to help operations recover while safeguarding safety. Government officials have emphasized strict enforcement of safety norms but are working to ease disruptions.
