Mismanagement Behind IndiGo's Mass Flight Cancellations, Says Aviation Minister

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu has held IndiGo's internal crew-roster management responsible for the days-long disruption that has left passengers stranded across major airports.

The Minister said the airline struggled to implement the updated Flight Duty Time Limitation norms while other carriers adapted without major setbacks.

Naidu said the situation became severe enough for the government to step in and offer temporary relaxations in key FDTL rules so that IndiGo could stabilise its schedule.

Minister Blames IndiGo's Roster "Mismanagement"

Speaking to ANI, Naidu said the Ministry had to extend temporary relief to the airline after the tightening of night duty and rest period norms created gaps in staffing. The exemption allows IndiGo to operate outside some of the DGCA's stricter requirements until February 10, 2026, particularly for flights scheduled between midnight and 0650 hours. A clause that previously prevented airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest has also been suspended.

Naidu emphasised that the airline failed to anticipate the operational impact of the new rules. "From November 1, the DGCA came up with new FDTL regulations... Other airlines, including Air India and SpiceJet, have adjusted. However, what has unfolded is due to mismanagement by IndiGo regarding its crew."

He added that easing the norms was essential to bring its network under control. "We have given certain abeyance regarding FDTL norms to IndiGo to ensure normalcy," the Minister said.

Committee Formed to Assess Accountability

The government has launched an inquiry to determine where IndiGo's internal systems failed and who is responsible for the widespread disruptions.

"Since we have observed this only with IndiGo, we have formed a committee which will inquire into all this so that they can establish where things went wrong and who did it wrong. We will take the necessary action on that as well... whoever was responsible for this needs to pay for it."

He reiterated that reducing passenger distress is the government's top priority, adding that officials have held continuous discussions with stakeholders since cancellations began on December 3.

Government Ordered IndiGo to Fix Issues in 48 Hours

Naidu said authorities initially directed IndiGo to restore normal operations within two days. When delays continued, the airline was instructed to cancel a significant number of flights to reduce congestion.

"Initially, when a lot of delays happened... we told them to take all necessary steps to ensure normalcy within two days. However, we saw delays happening yesterday as well. Therefore, we told IndiGo to cancel major operations so that the inconvenience at the airport and the congestion due to delays are reduced."

On Friday, staff were asked to prioritise elderly passengers and those with disabilities while clearing a massive backlog of stranded travellers. Naidu added that frontline workers must communicate with empathy during the disruption.

"Today, we are seeing that the situation is getting better... From tomorrow, we are expecting normalcy to start in the sense that there won't be any congestion, or there won't be any waiting at the airports."

DGCA Flags "Gap in Planning"

The DGCA said the crisis resulted from IndiGo's "misjudgment and gap in planning" during the transition to the updated pilot duty norms. The regulator has directed all airlines to ensure that refunds for cancelled flights are processed promptly.

Even as the temporary exemption aims to stabilise IndiGo's schedules, the Airlines' Pilots Association of India has criticised the move, arguing that it compromises safety and sets a troubling precedent for regulatory oversight.