IndiGo Apologises After 85 Flights Delayed and Cancelled Leaves Passangers Stranded At Delhi, Mumbai Airports

Panic spread across major airports as IndiGo flight delays and cancellations hit passengers hard, with at least 85 services scrapped. The airline blamed a mix of internal and external issues, while sources linked the chaos to new crew rules and winter pressure on operations, which together severely reduced available pilots and disrupted schedules across the IndiGo network.

IndiGo confirmed the disruption and issued a public apology after two days of severe schedule chaos. The airline said, "We acknowledge that IndiGo's operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused." The statement followed loud complaints from stranded travellers at several airports.

IndiGo flight delays and cancellations hit Delhi, Mumbai and other airports

According to airport officials, at least 38 IndiGo flights in Delhi and 33 in Mumbai were cancelled. Additional services were hit at other airports, including Hyderabad, where passengers reported long waits and protests. Crew shortages, technical problems and airport congestion were cited as key reasons, adding pressure to already busy winter schedules and stretching IndiGo’s operational capacity.

The scale of disruption was visible on social media, where flyers shared videos and angry posts. One passenger, stuck for hours in Delhi, wrote, "Absolute chaos and mockery at Delhi Airport," after waiting more than seven hours. Many users tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, demanding intervention and clearer answers from the airline.

IndiGo flight delays and cancellations spark outrage on social media

Frustration intensified as passengers accused IndiGo staff of poor communication and lack of support. One user posted, "#Indigo staff are leeches who are lying & passengers are stranded since past 12+ hours with no confirmatiom. My flight is delayed for 7+ hours now. Never flying Indigo again. This needs to be investigated," reflecting growing anger over the long delays and limited assistance at airports.

Another flyer highlighted the impact on religious travellers at Hyderabad. The user wrote, "Deeply unfortunate to see #Ayyappadevotees forced to protest at Hyderabad Airport after @IndiGo6E failed to address hours-long delays. Passengers deserve clarity, and responsible service. Hope the authorities take immediate action," calling for accountability from both IndiGo and aviation regulators as delays stretched across the day.

IndiGo flight delays and cancellations linked to FDTL rules and winter rush

Internal sources pointed to a key structural trigger behind the crisis: the updated flight duty time limits, or FDTL, introduced in November. Under the new regime, pilot rosters changed, reducing flexibility and worsening IndiGo’s pilot availability. One source told India Today TV, "New regime of the FDTL remains the major reason for the pilot crunch within IndiGo."

The winter travel rush added another layer of strain as more people flew for holidays and year-end plans. A source said, "due to increased passenger load, the burden on existing resources has also increased." This spike in traffic, combined with revised crew rules, left little buffer for IndiGo when further issues such as weather or congestion appeared.

IndiGo also admitted that technology problems contributed to the mess, particularly during passenger processing. System issues affected boarding procedures and slowed check-in and documentation. According to the airline, staff had to work around these glitches while also handling flight changes, which delayed responses to passengers already stuck due to crew and scheduling limitations.

IndiGo described the disruption as the result of several operational shocks hitting at once. The airline said, "A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations) had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated," outlining how different factors combined to overwhelm the system.

Data from airports showed the cancellations were concentrated in major hubs, where network pressures are highest.

These figures underline how disruption in one part of the system can ripple across the network.

Behind the scenes, IndiGo teams are working to fix system glitches, balance rosters and stabilise schedules. Internal sources maintain that crew shortage is still the central issue, worsened by the FDTL changes and winter demand. The airline is attempting to limit further cancellations, but passengers continue to feel the impact of IndiGo flight delays and cancellations across India’s busiest routes.