Due to a shortage of pilots, Indigo cancelled over 750 flights

New Delhi, Indigo flights were affected for the third day on Friday due to a shortage of pilots, with over 750 flights cancelled at major airports, more than 550 were cancelled the previous day. The airline has cancelled all 235 flights at the Delhi airport on Friday, while operations in Chennai are expected to be affected till 6 pm. Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad have also faced significant disruptions.

India's largest airline has cited a shortage of pilots as the reason for the chaos and said it has been exacerbated by winter pressure. Indigo has requested a partial relaxation in the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules to help stabilize operations and said it does not expect full compliance until February 2026. According to sources, all 235 Indigo flights at the Delhi airport have been cancelled till Saturday midnight.

Amidst the disruptions, Indigo apologized to passengers and stakeholders on Thursday evening, who have been affected by the widespread operational issues in its network. The airline wrote on its X account, "Our teams, along with MoCA, DGCA, BCAS, AAI, and airport operators, are working together to mitigate the effects of delays and make every possible effort to restore operations to normal." "We are keeping passengers informed of any changes to their scheduled flights and advise them to check flight status before heading to the airport. Indigo apologized for the inconvenience and promised to restore operations as soon as possible.

In a review meeting called by the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu, the airline acknowledged that the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules, which are designed to increase rest periods and limit duty hours, have exacerbated the pressure on resources amidst a persistent shortage of cockpit crew. The airline has requested a partial waiver of the rules to help stabilize its operations.