Civil Aviation Ministry Orders 10% Cut in IndiGo Flights as Airline Battles Disruptions

New Delhi/Mumbai: India’s Civil Aviation Ministry has directed IndiGo to reduce its planned flight operations by 10 per cent to stabilise services after a week of severe disruptions that saw more than 4,000 cancellations since December 2.

The order, announced by Minister Ram Mohan Naidu after summoning CEO Pieter Elbers, aims to curb further chaos caused by the airline’s crew-rostering failures and non-compliance with new safety rules.

The ministry’s directive doubles the 5 per cent cut earlier mandated by the DGCA, which has also instructed IndiGo to submit a revised schedule and is probing operational lapses through a four-member panel. Despite operating over 2,200 daily flights in the winter schedule, IndiGo has struggled to manage tighter pilot rest norms introduced on November 1, resulting in mass cancellations, long queues and widespread passenger distress.

IndiGo said operations are improving, with over 1,800 flights operating on Tuesday and nearly 1,900 planned for Wednesday, covering all 138 destinations. The CEO confirmed that refunds for all flights affected until December 6 have been completed, with instructions to expedite pending cases and baggage delivery.

Minister Naidu told Parliament that no airline, regardless of size, will be allowed to inconvenience passengers due to planning failures. Authorities have also ordered the airline to comply with fare caps and passenger-assistance measures. IndiGo reiterated its apology, noting that congestion, weather, technical issues and the new rest rules contributed to the crisis. Shares of InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo’s parent company, have fallen over 17 per cent this month.