New Delhi/Mumbai, Dec 6: A day after cancelling more than 1,000 flights nationwide, IndiGo on Saturday pulled over 200 more flights from its schedules in Delhi airport and Mumbai airport, deepening the week-long operational crisis triggered by tighter crew-rest regulations.
Officials said the airline axed 109 flights in Mumbai and 106 in Delhi, disrupting arrivals and departures throughout the day. The carrier has been struggling to realign crew rosters after the enforcement of new court-backed duty-time norms for pilots.
On Friday, chief executive Pieter Elbers broke his silence with a video address in which he acknowledged the widespread distress caused by mass cancellations.
“I know the past few days have been extremely difficult for our passengers,” he said. “We are working around the clock, and we expect Saturday’s operations to see fewer disruptions.”
Despite the heavy cancellations, IndiGo received limited regulatory relief on Friday when the DGCA rolled back certain provisions: the night-duty window was reset to 12 a.m.–5 a.m., and pilots were permitted six night landings instead of two. The carrier, partially owned by aviation entrepreneur Rahul Bhatia, had sought these changes to ease roster pressure.
The airline continues to face scrutiny as passengers report long waits, missed connections and crowded terminals. Officials said IndiGo is still “realigning its network” and may not return to full operations immediately.
