Aviation Ministry Warns IndiGo Against Airfare Hike As DGCA Reviews Crisis; Airline Says Operations To Normalise By Feb

IndiGo Flight Update: The Centre has stepped in to address IndiGo’s ongoing operational crisis, which has led to an unprecedented wave of flight cancellations since the end of November. Following days of widespread disruption, the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) held a detailed review meeting on Thursday to examine the airline’s preparedness and response.

Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu chaired the discussion, where senior officials and IndiGo’s top management were present. The minister directed the airline to take immediate corrective steps to assist affected passengers and bring operations back to a stable level.

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Govt Unhappy With IndiGo’s Preparedness

During the meeting, IndiGo attributed its disruption to challenges in managing crew schedules, the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), and weather-related constraints. However, the minister reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the airline’s readiness, noting that the industry had sufficient time to plan for changes to duty norms.

Aviation Ministry Warns Of Airfare Hikes

The Aviation Ministry also instructed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and DGCA to keep a tight watch on airfares to ensure there is no unjustified surge while cancellations continue. Airport directors have been told to extend full support to stranded travellers, provide assistance on ground and ensure proper crowd management.

IndiGo Expects Full Stability Only by February 2026

Regulators pointed out that IndiGo has been cancelling between 170 and 200 flights daily—far higher than routine averages. To contain the crisis, IndiGo informed DGCA it will scale down its schedule from December 8. The airline has estimated that its operations will fully stabilise only by 10 February 2026, nearly two months from now.

IndiGo has also cautioned that more cancellations may follow as it adjusts crew rosters and accelerates training to meet regulatory norms.

Regulator Seeks Comprehensive Recovery Blueprint

DGCA has instructed field officers to carry out real-time inspections at major airports to evaluate IndiGo’s handling of passengers. Additionally, the airline must now submit a detailed roadmap outlining crew hiring plans, aircraft induction timelines, safety risk assessments, roster restructuring and specific FDTL relaxations it may require.

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Cancellations Continue Across India

On Thursday, more than 550 flights were cancelled nationwide, with Delhi accounting for the highest number. Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Goa also saw significant disruptions. IndiGo’s on-time performance fell sharply to 19.7 per cent on Wednesday.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, in an internal message, acknowledged the severity of the situation, saying the airline faces a “difficult target” in restoring punctuality and stable operations.