'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.'
A Bengaluru-bound IndiGo Airlines flight with 216 passengers made an emergency landing in Varanasi after a bird strike. All passengers were safely evacuated.
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
With 7.64 million seats, the Mumbai-Delhi route in 2025 was the eighth busiest route in the world.
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.
The airline said that the plane was diverted to Lucknow after a "security threat" was detected on board.
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.'
The Adani Group-owned Navi Mumbai International Airport is slated to commence international passenger and freighter operations from July 15. This marks a significant expansion for the airport, which began domestic services last December. Air India Express and IndiGo are expected to operate international flights, with customs readiness reviews already completed. The airport anticipates a substantial increase in daily passenger footfall and air traffic movements by the year-end.
Passengers complained of last-minute alerts, lack of communication and long queues as flight operations continued to be hit nationwide.
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.
'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?'
Where was the Board when a predictable regulatory change brought the country's largest airline to its knees? asks Dr Sudhir Bisht.
The DGCA has formed two specialised teams to internally monitor IndiGo's daily operations.
'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.'
'IndiGo abruptly cancelled our Kolkata-Purnea flight citing bad weather, despite clear conditions and another airline operating the same route, causing severe inconvenience.'
The flights have been cut across sectors, particularly on high-demand, high-frequency routes, according to a DGCA statement.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
'IndiGo is fooling the country and the government has succumbed to it.'
Delhi airport operator DIAL said operations of all other carriers remain as scheduled.
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.
Gen Z protesters are using memes, music, and sarcastic humour on social media platforms like Instagram and X to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET question paper leak and other examination irregularities.
Blaming Indigo entirely for the crisis, Naidu said that even on December 1, 2025, when the Ministry met with Indigo on FDTL, as it required some clarification, the company didn't flag the issue that caused the crisis.
Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the government has initiated an inquiry into Indigo's mass flight cancellations and will take strict action against the operator to set an example for other airlines.
'Where rostering systems are automated and duty time software interfaces directly with DGCA, the assertion that they suddenly discovered crew shortages is simply implausible.' 'If adequate crew planning hasn't materialised within 12 to 24 months from inception, how will 45 days -- from December 5 to February 12 -- suddenly resolve matters?'
Pilots' body Airlines' Pilots Association (ALPA) India on Friday took 'strong' objection to safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s 'selective and unsafe' relief to domestic carrier IndiGo, amid widescale cancellations, saying the decision sets a dangerous precedent.
According to sources, the crisis-ridden airline cancelled 137 flights at Delhi airport and 21 services at Mumbai airport.
The board of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of IndiGo, has already set up a crisis management group in the wake of the significant operational disruptions that started on December 2.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu addressed the Lok Sabha regarding the recent IndiGo flight disruptions, assuring that the airline will be held accountable and strict action will be taken for non-compliance and passenger hardship.
