NEW DELHI — Airport operations across India remained in disarray on Thursday as widespread delays at IndiGo escalated into the cancellation of more than 550 domestic and international flights, stretching the disruption into a second day and affecting thousands of passengers.
The operational breakdown, driven largely by crew unavailability, forced other airlines to cancel services as IndiGo aircraft occupied parking bays for extended periods, intensifying congestion at major airports.
According to PTI, the heaviest impact was felt at key metro hubs: Mumbai saw 85 cancellations, Bengaluru 73, Hyderabad 68, Chennai 31 and Delhi 30. At Hyderabad airport, frustrated passengers were seen raising slogans as delays mounted and information remained scarce.
As the situation deteriorated, senior IndiGo officials met Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, informing him that the carrier would curtail flight operations from December 8 to stabilise schedules. The airline also sought a temporary exemption from night-flying regulations until February 10 to rebuild crew rosters and restore network reliability.
The continued turmoil marks one of the most significant operational crises for India’s largest airline in recent years, with ripple effects expected to persist until scheduling and crew availability normalise.
IndiGo's operational crisis led to the cancellation of over 550 flights, causing widespread airport disruptions across India. Crew shortages were the primary cause, affecting major hubs like Mumbai and Bengaluru. The airline plans to reduce operations to stabilize schedules and seeks regulatory exemptions to address the crisis, which is expected to have lasting effects.