IndiGo admits planning gaps behind roster chaos, seeks time till Feb 10 to stabilise
The acknowledgement came as civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu reviewed the disruptions and cancellations with officials from his ministry and IndiGo
New Delhi: IndiGo has acknowledged that the airline’s operational disruptions and flight cancellations stemmed from misjudgment and planning gaps in implementing the second phase of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules. It has requested time until February 10 to fully stabilise operations.
The acknowledgement came as civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu reviewed the disruptions and cancellations with officials from his ministry and IndiGo.
In a statement, the ministry said Indigo has been directed to normalise the operations at the earliest and ensure that it does not lead to an increase in fares. It added that the situation was being closely monitored.
The statement said Naidu met senior officers of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and instructed them to inform all airport directors to constantly monitor the situation and provide all support to stranded passengers. “The minister also directed DGCA [Directorate General of Civil Aviation] to closely monitor the airfares during the flight disruptions/cancellations,” the statement said.
DGCA director general Faiz Ahmed Kidwai separately met the senior leadership of IndiGo over operational disruptions reported across the airline’s network since late November.
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The ministry said IndiGo presented data on cancellations and provided reasons, including transitional challenges in implementing the revised FDTL CAR, crew-planning issues, and winter-season operational constraints, for the disruptions.
The revised FDTL norms were implemented in two phases on July 1 and November 1, pursuant to court directions, the statement said. It added that these norms are aimed at strengthening fatigue management and ensuring enhanced flight safety.
In its submissions to the DGCA, IndiGo said it is facing significant transitional challenges in roster planning and crew availability under second-phase FDTL requirements.
IndiGo assured DGCA that corrective actions were underway and that normalised and stable operations would be fully restored by February 10.
The government said that the airline acknowledged that the disruptions had arisen primarily from misjudgment and planning gaps in implementing the second phase of the FDTL rules. The airline accepted that the actual crew requirement for the new CAR exceeded their anticipation.
The airline told the government that more cancellations will continue for the next 2-3 days as part of schedule stabilisation efforts. From December 8, the airline will reduce its flights.
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The airline’s requirement for pilot in command (PIC) was 2,186 in October. With the implementation of the new norms in November, this requirement increased to 2,422. The airline told the government that it has 2,357 PIC as of December 2025.
The airline’s requirement for first officers (FO) in October was 1,948. With the revision, it increased to 2153. IndiGo has 2194 co-pilots or FOs as of December this year.
The sharp increase in duty share during night-time operations has constrained crew availability, the airline said.
The DGCA has directed its regional offices to conduct real-time field inspections at major airports to evaluate IndiGo’s management of flight disruptions, with focus on passenger-handling arrangements, crew-deployment and rostering practices, and on-ground coordination during delays and cancellations.
A DGCA team inspected Delhi Airport Terminal 1, which faced the highest passenger impact. “The team observed that IndiGo’s passenger-handling manpower was inadequate to manage disruption-induced crowding. The airline has been instructed to urgently increase manpower and strengthen passenger-support services at all affected terminals,” the statement said.
The regulator has directed the airline to submit a detailed roadmap covering projected crew recruitment. The airline has been instructed to plan for crew training, roster restructuring, safety-risk assessments, and mitigation measures leading to full compliance with immediate effect.
The airline has been asked to outline immediate steps to stabilise operations and ensure a progressive reduction in cancellations. “A detailed progress report must be submitted every 15 days, covering operational improvements, crew availability, and roster stability,” the statement said.
IndiGo has been directed to submit the FDTL relaxations required to normalise the flight operations for DGCA review.
“DGCA will continue to maintain strict, real-time monitoring of IndiGo’s network performance, restoration efforts, and passenger-handling measures over the coming week,” the statement said.
