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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Saturday following a week-long operational crisis affecting the airline’s flights. On the same day, over 500 IndiGo flights were cancelled across India, with Bengaluru being the hardest hit, recording 124 cancellations.
IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, is struggling with operational disruptions, causing chaos at airports. Many flights were delayed or cancelled, leaving passengers frustrated as they waited for updates and tried to locate their luggage. Several travelers expressed their anger on social media, also noting a sharp rise in airfares on certain routes.
IndiGo responds to the 'Show Cause Notice' dated 06.12.2025 (SCN), in relation to the recent operational disruption caused to IndiGo's flight network. We request your good offices to kindly grant us an extension of time at least till 1800 hours tomorrow (i.e. 08.12.2025), or… pic.twitter.com/NYJIXGjFOX
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025
On customer handling, processes refunds, luggage, and rebooking IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said efforts are in full swing, and the backlog is being reduced. He also thanked government agencies and aviation stakeholders. At the end of his video message, he added, "I'm confident that we will emerge stronger from here."
The recent significant disruption to IndiGo flights was primarily caused by the airline's failure to prepare for and comply with new, stricter pilot rest regulations
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Sunday said the airline is gradually stabilising operations after days of major disruptions caused by new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. Sharing an update from IndiGo’s operations control centre in Gurugram, Elbers noted that the carrier’s reboot plan—implemented on Friday—has begun to show results.
He highlighted that IndiGo operated about 1,500 flights on Saturday, a sharp recovery from roughly 700 flights on Friday, adding that the airline is now informing passengers about cancellations earlier to avoid airport inconvenience.
Expressing confidence in continued improvement, Elbers said IndiGo expects to scale up operations to around 1,650 flights as it moves closer to restoring normal service.
Aviation Expert Harsh Vardhan on On DGCA summoning IndiGo CEO and Accountable Manager- The DGCA and the government are now realising that they should have been more effective from the beginning.
#watch | Delhi: On DGCA summoning IndiGo CEO and Accountable Manager, Aviation Expert Harsh Vardhan says, "... The DGCA and the government are now realising that they should have been more effective from the beginning. The initiatives taken by the government over the last two… pic.twitter.com/D8pN099z0Z
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025
Every airline in the country was aware of the new regulation, which primarily addresses the issue of crew member fatigue...
#watch | Delhi: On DGCA's show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO, Aviation Expert Sharath Panicker says, "... The Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) began last year, with its effective date around 1 July 2024. Once the requirement was promulgated, it became law under the domestic… pic.twitter.com/vKLODVAhto
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has taken rapid and decisive steps to address the disruption caused by the recent IndiGo operational crisis and to ensure that passengers do not face continued inconvenience, according to a MoCA press release.
Air travel operations across the country are stabilising at a fast pace. All other domestic airlines are operating smoothly and at full capacity, while IndiGo's performance has shown steady improvement today, with flight schedules moving back towards normal levels. IndiGo's flight operations have increased from 706 on December 5 to 1,565 on December 6 and are likely to reach up to 1,650 by the end of today, the statement added.
Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Office - To reduce passenger inconvenience at airports, multiple stakeholder engagements were held, and real-time airport situations have been monitored continuously over the last four days
To reduce passenger inconvenience at airports, multiple stakeholder engagements were held, and real-time airport situations have been monitored continuously over the last four days. Regular meetings were convened with all operators, airport directors, ground-handling agencies and… pic.twitter.com/JqaSO4aXUW
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025
IndiGo flights may still experience delays. Passengers are advised to check the latest flight status with their airline before leaving for the airport to avoid inconvenience
Delhi Airport GMR says, "IndiGo flights may still experience delays. Passengers are advised to check the latest flight status with their airline before leaving for the airport to avoid inconvenience. Our teams are working closely with all stakeholders to minimize delays and… pic.twitter.com/evky3sdFaB
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025
IndiGo’s Board of Directors has established a high-level Crisis Management Group (CMG) to address the widespread flight cancellations and delays that have affected passengers nationwide over the past week, the airline said in a statement on Sunday. The spokesperson added that the CMG was formed following an emergency Board meeting on the very first day of the disruptions. During the session, the Board received a detailed briefing from management about the scale and nature of the crisis before holding a closed-door discussion exclusively for Board members.
Amid the ongoing IndiGo flight disruptions and nationwide travel chaos, the Ministry of Railways and IRCTC have set up a joint helpdesk at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad to assist passengers. Speaking to ANI, IRCTC official Shubham Arya said that tickets are being booked directly at the helpdesk through on-the-spot payment. He also added that currently, two special trains from Ahmedabad to Delhi are operational to accommodate affected travelers.
Amid the IndiGo flight cancellations, the Western Railway zone of Indian Railways has deployed several special trains. Railway Public Relations Officer Ajay Solanki stated that additional coaches are being attached to regular trains to accommodate more passengers. He urged travelers to make use of these services and arrive at the stations early to ensure smooth boarding.
According to PTI, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, held a “high-level meeting” with IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Saturday to review the situation and resolve the ongoing issues, a government source said.
Since December 4, 2025, both Air India and Air India Express have proactively capped economy-class fares on non-stop domestic flights to avoid price surges caused by automated revenue management systems. The airlines are also working to comply with the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s latest airfare cap directive issued on December 6, 2025.
Waiver of change and cancellation fees: To offer passengers more flexibility, Air India and Air India Express have introduced a special waiver on change and cancellation fees for eligible domestic bookings.
Airport data from Sunday shows that IndiGo faced major cancellations across several key hubs. Hyderabad Airport reported 69 cancellations, including 26 arrivals and 43 departures. Delhi’s GMR-operated airport saw 86 IndiGo flights cancelled, with 37 departures and 49 arrivals affected. Ahmedabad Airport recorded 59 cancellations, comprising 35 departures and 24 arrivals. At Kolkata Airport, out of 73 scheduled arrivals and 102 departures, 21 arrivals and 20 departures were cancelled.
On Saturday, Mumbai airport saw a total of 146 IndiGo flights cancelled till 8 pm, reports ANI. Of these, 70 were arrival flights, while 76 were scheduled departures.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, Murlidhar Mohol, stated on Saturday that the DGCA has set up a four-member committee to examine the recent operational disruptions at IndiGo Airlines. According to ANI, the panel will review areas such as crew scheduling, overall operational preparedness, and adherence to the new flight duty time regulations, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has officially issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, holding the airline responsible for major operational disruptions in recent days and citing “serious lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management.” In the notice issued on Saturday, the DGCA has asked the CEO to respond within 24 hours, following a week marked by widespread flight cancellations and delays that stranded thousands of passengers across India.
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IndiGo Flight Cancellation LIVE: IndiGo responds to the 'Show Cause Notice' dated 06.12.2025 (SCN)
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