IndiGo Limps Back to Normalcy After Week-Long Chaos; Operations Near 95% Recovery

New Delhi: Budget carrier IndiGo showed signs of recovery on Sunday with significantly fewer disruptions, as the airline scrambled to restore stability following a massive breakdown triggered by the sudden implementation of revised pilot rest norms last week that left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded nationwide.

Key Developments:

- Airports across India reported a calmer Sunday. Delhi saw lighter crowds with only a few cancellations (including flights from Jammu, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Nagpur, and Aizawl). Mumbai recorded eight cancellations, while Chennai reported around 40.
- IndiGo targets operating more than 1,500 flights by the end of Sunday and has restored services to 135 out of its 138 destinations. Before the crisis, the airline operated approximately 2,300 daily flights.
- On Saturday, the carrier cancelled over 700 flights as part of a deliberate network and crew roster “reboot” to enable a stronger restart from Sunday.

The turmoil stemmed from IndiGo’s underestimation of the additional pilots required under the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules. The resulting crisis saw thousands of flights cancelled or delayed over the past week.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has since relaxed certain provisions to ease the pressure, but the government has sharply criticised IndiGo for “gross mismanagement” that caused widespread passenger distress. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that strict action will be taken against the airline.

The DGCA has issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo, giving the carrier 24 hours to respond. A junior minister confirmed the notice on Sunday.

Under intense pressure, IndiGo committed to processing full refunds to the original payment method for all cancelled flights by the government’s 8 pm Sunday deadline, warning that failure to comply would invite penalties.

In a fresh statement, the airline said its Board of Directors, including Chairman Vikram Mehta and CEO Pieter Elbers, was briefed in detail on the first day of the crisis and immediately formed a Crisis Management Group. The leadership promised every effort to assist affected passengers, including waivers on rescheduling and cancellation fees.

The episode has taken a political turn, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi attacking the government’s “monopoly model” in aviation. Minister Naidu countered that the government remains committed to fostering competition in the sector.

IndiGo, which commands over 60% of India’s domestic market, continues to face intense scrutiny as it works to regain passenger trust after one of the worst operational meltdowns in its history.