Three Air India narrowbody aircraft at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport were damaged when ground support equipment, moved by sudden strong winds and rain, collided with them. All three planes were taken out of operation, with two expected to return soon.
IndiGo is adjusting its long-haul flight schedule, including suspending services to Copenhagen, due to airspace uncertainties and airport congestion. The airline will also reduce flights to London and Manchester.
Wingtips of Air India and IndiGo planes came in touch with each other at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening, and both aircraft have been grounded for checks, according to officials. Aviation regulator DGCA's team is at the site and will be probing the incident.
'The CCI will first need to take a prima facie view on whether IndiGo's role warrants a detailed investigation.'
Heavy rainfall in Mumbai on Sunday led to significant disruptions, including a one-hour suspension of flight operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, widespread waterlogging, and multiple treefall incidents. One person died in Kurla due to a tree collapse, marking the second such fatality in a week. The India Meteorological Department had issued a 'red' alert, with several areas recording over 200 mm of rain.
Indian benchmark stock indices, Sensex and Nifty, advanced for the second consecutive day, driven by softening crude oil prices and a positive trend in global markets. Despite some profit-taking in IT and metal shares, auto stocks outperformed, contributing to the overall gains.
A passenger in Lucknow allegedly caused a false bomb alert on a train at Aishbagh station because he couldn't find a seat. The hoax triggered panic and a multi-agency security check, but no suspicious objects were found. The accused, Saini Jackie, has been taken into custody, and legal proceedings are underway.
A Bengaluru-bound IndiGo Airlines flight with 216 passengers made an emergency landing in Varanasi after a bird strike. All passengers were safely evacuated.
Heavy monsoon rains have severely impacted Mumbai and its surrounding areas, leading to landslides, suspension of train services, and at least 13 fatalities over the past few days. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway was also shut due to a concrete pillar collapse and waterlogging.
IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet are opposing the government's directive to offer 60% of seats for free selection, arguing it will lead to increased airfares to compensate for lost revenue.
A Shillong-bound aircraft was moved to an isolation bay at Kolkata airport after a handwritten note claiming a bomb was found, prompting a thorough search.
At Kolga Aabla, the closest beach to her grandmother's home, at the edge of a birch forest, we immersed her balance ashes. It was a sombre, precious day for both of us. But a day that also brought long-needed closure. My mother's spirit, chained for so many years in a Parkinson's-locked body, was free. But my father came back from the beach a visibly older man.
With 7.64 million seats, the Mumbai-Delhi route in 2025 was the eighth busiest route in the world.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and delayed, leaving passengers stranded at airports as the flight disruptions continued for the fourth day on Friday.
'IndiGo will receive a sharp rap on the knuckles -- a punishment, a huge penalty. 'I look towards them creating a compensation fund.' 'I would like to think they would do that for all the passengers who are affected on every single day since cancellations began.'
The airline said that the plane was diverted to Lucknow after a "security threat" was detected on board.
Fair trade watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) is examining whether the country's largest airline, IndiGo, violated competition norms, a senior official said on Friday amid the carrier facing regulatory scrutiny over significant flight disruptions.
India's duopoly in the domestic skies -- where IndiGo and Air India collectively control over 90 per cent of the market -- is highly skewed, leaving very little room for new players
Apart from the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) exemptions, the regulator has provided certain other relaxations that will help IndiGo have more pilots for duty to reduce the disruptions and normalise operations.
Aviation watchdog DGCA stations personnel at IndiGo's headquarters to monitor flight cancellations, crew deployment, and operational disruptions after thousands of flights were cancelled, causing passenger inconvenience.
Here are some glimpses of the unfolding scenes, as weary passengers clutch their luggage, waiting for clarity amid the turmoil.
'They collected our passports and boarding passes. The chaos continued. There was no coordination amongst the IndiGo staff and airport staff.'
Where was the Board when a predictable regulatory change brought the country's largest airline to its knees? asks Dr Sudhir Bisht.
'They are saying that there is a pilot shortage which is not correct, but if it was true, did they suddenly come to know this on December 5?' 'If they didn't have crew, why did they seek approval for a winter schedule? To get the approval, the operator has to show crew strength and also a buffer of crew available.' 'If they had a crew crunch, why did they ask for extra flights? Or was it something else that made them so sure that they would get away with this exemption and bans?'
Passengers complained of last-minute alerts, lack of communication and long queues as flight operations continued to be hit nationwide.
The DGCA has formed two specialised teams to internally monitor IndiGo's daily operations.
'IndiGo abruptly cancelled our Kolkata-Purnea flight citing bad weather, despite clear conditions and another airline operating the same route, causing severe inconvenience.'
'I don't think it is right to remove him over one lapse. The focus should be on restoring operations, not on removing a key management personnel.'
The flights have been cut across sectors, particularly on high-demand, high-frequency routes, according to a DGCA statement.
The Gurugram-based carrier, which commands over 65 per cent of India's total domestic traffic, had cancelled over 560 flights from six metro airports alone on Monday.
Rahul Bhatia-controlled domestic carrier IndiGo on Monday cancelled 562 flights from six metro airports, with 150 cancellations originating from Bengaluru airport alone, according to sources.
India's largest airline IndiGo on Thursday reported a 78 per cent decline in December quarter net profit at Rs 549.1 crore as flight disruptions and implementation of the new labour code took a toll on its earnings. The airline reported a net profit of Rs 549.1 crore in the October-December quarter, compared with Rs 2,448.8 crore earnings in the year-ago period, according to a company statement.
If you travelled on IndiGo in the last few days -- or if you were stranded at an airport because of these delays -- share your experience with us at getahead@rediff.co.in.
DRI sleuths at Chennai International Airport seized five kgs of crystal methamphetamine, valued at Rs 5 crore, from a passenger attempting to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur. The passenger has been arrested, and an investigation is underway to uncover the broader drug network.
Union Minister assures accountability after IndiGo flight cancellations cause widespread passenger distress and mental harassment. The DGCA has launched an inquiry and issued a notice to IndiGo.
Citing IndiGo flight disruptions, sources told PTI that the DGCA has decided to withdraw the provision 'no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest' from the FDTL norms.
Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said it has received IndiGo's response to the show cause notice issued over the large-scale flight cancellations and will take enforcement action.
'IndiGo is fooling the country and the government has succumbed to it.'
Pilots' body the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has alleged that IndiGo, despite getting a two-year preparatory window before the full implementation of new flight duty and rest period norms for cockpit crew, "inexplicably" adopted a "hiring freeze."
IndiGo is operating 1,650 flights of its 2,300 daily domestic and international flights on Sunday, and 650 remain cancelled for the day, amid the airline's operations gradually stabilising after massive disruptions in the last five days, the airline said.
