The airline’s statement came on a day the civil aviation ministry and DGCA held a detailed review meeting with the airline officials and CEO Pieter Elbers told staff that IndiGo had failed to “live up to the promise”.

Civil aviation minister expresses displeasure

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu directed IndiGo to urgently normalise operations. He also asked the airline with the lion’s market share in the domestic aviation market to ensure that airfares do not rise due to the current issues.

Naidu also said that the manner in which the situation was handled left a lot to be desired. He underlined the fact that airlines were given enough preparatory time to ensure a seamless transition to the new regulatory requirements.

Chaos at Pune International Airport caused by nationwide delay in Indigo Flights. Source: shared by flyer. pic.twitter.com/BlxN5Ot1s0

— Express Pune Resident Editor (@ExpressPune) December 4, 2025

What is IndiGo’s plan

IndiGo told the aviation regulator DGCA that it will reduce flights from December 8 and expects to fully restore stable flight operations by February 10, 2026.

The airline’s statement came on a day the civil aviation ministry and DGCA held a detailed review meeting with the airline officials and CEO Pieter Elbers told staff that IndiGo had failed to “live up to the promise“.

IndiGo came armed with data to the meeting and attributed the cancellations and overall disruption to chiefly two things. First was the challenges in crew planning and implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. Seasonal weather-related constraints were the other issue, the airline said.

What will IndiGo do

IndiGo informed the regulator that corrective actions were underway, and that more cancellations were expected in the next few days before stable flight operations could be fully restored.

The airline has also said that it will reduce flight operations from December 8 to minimise disruptions.

What caused the flight disruptions

Misjudgment on the part of the airline, and planning gaps in implementing the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms are being blamed for the mass flight cancellations and India-wide delays.

DGCA asks IndiGo for roadmap

DGCA has asked IndiGo to submit a detailed roadmap. It should include projected crew recruitment viz-a-viz induction of aircraft. Data on crew training plan, roster restructuring, safety-risk assessments, and mitigation measures should also be included.

“IndiGo is directed to submit the FDTL relaxations required to normalise the flight operations for DGCA review,” the statement said.