The country’s largest airline Indigo was also seen facing a major operational crisis on Sunday. Thousands of passengers got stranded due to large-scale cancellation of flights and an atmosphere of chaos was created at many airports. Cancellation of flights continues in many big cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh. Passengers say that they are facing a lot of trouble due to cancellation of flights without prior notice.

Many major flights canceled from Delhi airport
Flights from Delhi to many big cities were canceled today. These include:

• Delhi to Bengaluru – Canceled
• Delhi to Jaipur – Canceled
• Delhi to Nagpur – Canceled
• Delhi to Gwalior – Canceled
• Delhi to Chennai – Canceled

Other flights are also expected to be affected.

Biggest crisis at Hyderabad airport, 115 flights canceled

The situation remains critical at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad. Here IndiGo canceled a total of 115 flights today, which include:

• 54 arriving flights
• 61 departing flights

Passengers were unaware of this decision taken early in the morning, due to which long queues, crowd and complaints continue at the airport.

Lucknow airport also affected, queues of passengers formed

There is a situation of cancellation of flights in Lucknow also. Here today 5 Indigo flights were canceled. Long lines of passengers were seen at the Indigo counter at the airport. Passengers allege that they were not given correct information on time.

8 flights canceled from Mumbai airport
Passengers also had to face problems at Mumbai airport. So far 8 Indigo flights have been canceled here. The canceled flights include:

Mumbai-Goa

Mumbai–Jabalpur

Mumbai–Ahmedabad

Mumbai–Madurai

Mumbai-Ayodhya Dham

Mumbai-Patna

Mumbai–Kanpur

Mumbai–Gorakhpur

However, the Mumbai–Bengaluru flight and almost all international flights are on time.

Operation affected in Chandigarh also
3 Indigo flights were also canceled from Chandigarh Airport. Passengers are facing long waits for alternative flights and refunds.

Displeasure among passengers
There is clearly visible anger among passengers due to cancellation of flights. Many passengers said that they were not informed in time, are facing problems in getting the booking money refunded and the fares of alternative flights have increased significantly. Indigo has appealed to the passengers to be patient and said that the situation will be normalized soon.

People are worried for the fifth consecutive day due to the cancellation of flights of Indigo Airline, which is facing shortage of crew members. There is chaos at the airport. Troubled passengers created a ruckus at many places. There are piles of suitcases lying at the airport. People have not received the goods for 3 to 4 days. People waiting for the flight spent the night on the ground. However, in the meantime the passengers have also received good news. Indigo Airlines linked to crisis 10 big things…

1. Claim of restoration of 95% of Indigo flights
On Saturday, there was relief in the operational crisis that was going on in Indigo for the last four days. The airline claimed that flights have started on 95% of its routes. Flights left for 135 out of 138 destinations. The company says that on Saturday they have taken 1500 flights to their destinations.

2. Flight cancellations reduced
On December 6, IndiGo issued a statement saying that it is continuously working to normalize its flights. Cancellation is gradually improving. Today less than 850 flights were cancelled. This is much less than yesterday. More than 1000 flights were canceled on 5 December.

3. Central government fixed air fares
The central government has fixed the airfare for all airlines. Now the fare for air travel up to 500 kilometers will be Rs 7,500. Whereas for 500-1000 kilometers it will be Rs 12,000, for 1000-1500 kilometers it will be Rs 15,000 and above 1500 kilometers it will be maximum Rs 18,000. However, business class is not included in this.

4. Ticket money will be refunded within 48 hours
The Civil Aviation Ministry gave strict instructions to IndiGo to complete the ticket refund process for the passengers affected by the disruption in flights by 8 pm on Sunday night. The airline should ensure that all the luggage separated from the passengers due to flight cancellation is delivered within the next 48 hours. If this does not happen, further investigation and punitive action can be taken. Apart from this, the ministry has started a 24×7 helpline and has ordered the passengers to make arrangements for hotels, food and alternative transportation.

5. ixigo will refund the money for Indigo flights tickets
ixigo issued a statement on Saturday saying, ‘We understand how stressful flight cancellations can be. To support distressed passengers during these difficult times, ixigo will refund the full convenience fee and assured charges for all our customers whose IndiGo flights were canceled by the airline between December 3 and 8.

6. Kicking and punching between passengers and crew at airports
The anger of the troubled passengers erupted at the airport for 3-4 days. Passengers clashed among themselves over a dispute over standing in line at Lucknow airport. One passenger kicked and punched another passenger. Passengers in Mumbai were seen upset due to flight interruptions and cancellations. Passengers spent the night on the floor at Ahmedabad airport.

7. Because of Indigo, Railways started 84 special trains.
Considering the problems of passengers, Indian Railways on December 6 announced to run 84 special trains. The Railway Ministry said that these special services, which will make a total of 104 trips, have been rapidly prepared on major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Patna and Howrah. Now thousands of passengers will get a major alternative route.

8. Center gave relief to Indigo Airlines
The central government had come on the backfoot on Friday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) gave temporary relief to airlines, especially IndiGo, till 10 February 2026. The decision of not giving any leave in lieu of weekly rest was withdrawn. Indigo claims that due to this rule there was a shortage of pilots and other staff and the entire operation was affected. It will take time to fix it. DGCA had implemented the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) from November 1, rules related to the work of pilots and other crew members. The first phase came into effect on 1 July.

9. Being the most plain becomes a problem
Indigo operates about 2,300 domestic and international flights daily. This number is almost double the number of flights operated by Air India in a day. On such a large scale, if even 10–20 percent of flights are delayed or cancelled, it means 200–400 flights being affected. Huge difficulties arise for thousands of passengers. Its 1232 flights were canceled in November.

10. Congress targeted the government and sought answers.
In a press conference in New Delhi, Congress MP Shashikant Senthil accused the government of not taking concrete steps to deal with it. Senthil said, ‘This situation has been happening for the last one and a half years. The new rules of DGCA were first notified in January 2024. Airlines have not had sufficient time to adapt to these guidelines and we believe this is important.

Thousands of passengers faced problems due to cancellation of Indigo flights on 6 December. Meanwhile, the Aviation Ministry directed IndiGo to complete the process of refund of tickets for canceled flights by the evening. That means you will get your ticket money back by 7th December.

Refund will be available till the night of 7th December
The Civil Aviation Ministry has asked IndiGo to complete the ticket refund process for passengers affected by the disruption in flights by 8 pm on Sunday night. Also said that the airline should ensure that all the luggage separated from the passengers due to flight cancellation is delivered within the next 48 hours.

IndiGo was also directed to set up special assistance and refund facility centers for passengers. The automatic refund process will continue until operations are completely stabilized.

Additionally, the ministry said airlines should ensure that passengers’ lost luggage due to flight cancellations or delays is traced and delivered to them within the next 48 hours.

Aviation Ministry gave information to PM Modi
The Aviation Ministry has informed PM Modi in the Indigo case. In fact, continuous meetings are being held by the ministry for the last two days. The government is preparing to impose heavy fine on the airline.

There was a mess due to the new rules of the government
The new pilot duty rules (FDTL Phase-2) of the Central Government came into force and IndiGo was not at all prepared for it. The Pilot Union filed a petition in the Delhi High Court in January 2024. In this, the issue of flight safety was raised due to excessive working hours and fatigue of pilots. After the order of the High Court, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) made changes in the Flight Duty Time Limitation i.e. FDTL rules. These rules were to be implemented in two parts.

On July 1, 2025, Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules were implemented to give rest to the pilots. Under this, it was made mandatory for airline companies to give pilots 48 hours of rest instead of 36 hours a week, i.e. two days weekly rest. During this period, there was a ban on counting any holiday as weekly rest. The objective was very good that the less tired the pilot is, the safer the flight will be. But these rules reduced the availability of pilots by 15-20%.

In the second phase of FDTL, from November 1, DGCA had also banned continuous night shifts of pilots and other crew members.

• Earlier, rest was available for 36 hours in a week, now 48 hours is mandatory. This means each pilot can fly about one day less in a week.
• Night duty was earlier considered to be from 12 noon to 5 am, now till 6 am. That means one more hour more.
• A pilot can do only 2 night landings in a week, earlier there was a relaxation of up to 6.
• Night duty cannot be done for more than two consecutive nights.
• The most dangerous rule was that if the flight went on for even 1 minute after 12 o’clock in the night, then the entire duty was considered as night duty and the pilot would not be able to fly 1-2 flights in the morning the next day.

This meant only one thing: a pilot is no longer able to fly as many flights as he could before.

More than 400 flights canceled today
On December 5, more than 1,000 flights of the country’s largest airline Indigo were canceled and the same situation remained on December 6. On Saturday, more than 400 flights were canceled at the airports of many cities including the four major airports of the country, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru. The ministry said that any delay or non-compliance in the refund process will take immediate regulatory action. More than 2,000 flights have been canceled in the last 4 days. On average 500 flights are getting delayed every day.

Airlines Fare: Due to operational problems in Indigo, many flights were canceled one after the other. Due to this, passengers are facing a lot of problems. A large number of people are stranded at airports.

Airline companies took advantage of this opportunity and increased air travel fares tenfold in one fell swoop. Now the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had to come forward to control the sudden increase in fares. MoCA used emergency regulatory powers to control air fares.

Airlines took advantage of the opportunity

IndiGo is the country’s largest airline, which is facing operational problems since the first week of December. Thousands of passengers are having to suffer the consequences of this. There are reports of flights being canceled or delayed in many cities. To convert this disaster into an opportunity, many airline companies increased the rates of domestic flights.

Air fares skyrocketed overnight and at the last minute, ticket prices increased beyond normal levels. Taking this seriously, the Ministry has issued an official instruction, in which all airlines have been ordered to strictly follow the newly fixed fare limit on the affected routes until operations become normal.

Government took steps

An official statement issued by the government said, “The Civil Aviation Ministry has taken serious note of the concerns regarding exorbitant airfares being charged by some airlines during the ongoing crisis. “To protect passengers from any kind of predatory pricing, the Ministry has used its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares on all affected routes.”

It was said by the ministry that these limits will remain in force until the situation becomes completely stable. According to the ministry, the purpose of this directive is to maintain pricing discipline in the market, prevent exploitation of passengers in distress and ensure that those who need to travel urgently – including senior citizens, students and patients – do not face financial problems during this period. The ministry also said that they will keep an eye on the situation. If any change is made other than the prescribed rules, immediate rectification action will be taken.

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Opportunity in disaster! Flight tickets reached Rs 80-90000, airline companies are charging huge amount from troubled passengers.

The central government has come on the backfoot on Friday after the country’s largest airline company Indigo canceled more than 1700 flights in the last 4 days. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given temporary relief to airlines, especially IndiGo, till 10 February 2026. The decision of not giving any leave in lieu of weekly rest was withdrawn.

Indigo flights are being badly affected for the last several days. Today i.e. 5th December was the worst day, when more than 1000 flights were cancelled. More than half the schedules are being affected every day. From tomorrow (6th December) the cancellations will come down to less than 1000. That means getting exemption in FDTL from DGCA is helping in recovery. Indigo says that it will take time till December 15 for flight operations to become normal.

Government formed high level committee
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said that the government has also ordered a high-level inquiry into this entire incident, so that the cause of this crisis and responsibility can be fixed. He said that Indigo flights will become completely normal in the next three days.

IndiGo CEO Peter Albers said, ‘We apologize to everyone for the cancellation and delay of IndiGo flights. The entire system is rebooting. It will take time for the situation to become normal. The situation will become normal from 10 to 15 December. There have been more problems in the last few days. Today more than 1 thousand flights have been cancelled.

Flight ticket prices increased 10 times
In search of alternative flights, passengers have to buy tickets at up to 10 times the normal price. According to booking site MakeMyTrip, the cheapest flight fare from Delhi to Bangalore on December 6 is more than Rs 40,000, while the fare of some flights is up to Rs 80,000.

In fact, Indigo is facing shortage of crew members for the fourth consecutive day on Friday. Due to this, more than 1000 flights were canceled at many airports including Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad. Passengers have been waiting for the flight for 24 hours. At Delhi airport, passengers were seen arguing and fighting with the staff and security personnel over water, food and essential items.

Indigo claims- problems due to government rules
Indigo claims that due to this rule there was a shortage of pilots and other staff and the entire operation was affected. It will take time to fix it. DGCA had implemented the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) from November 1, rules related to the work of pilots and other crew members. The first phase came into effect on 1 July.

In the rules of the second phase of FDTL, it was made mandatory for the airline companies to give 48 hours of rest in a week to the pilots, i.e. two days weekly rest. During this period, there was a ban on counting any holiday as weekly rest. DGCA had also banned continuous night shifts of pilots and other crew members.

Cancellation of Indigo Airlines flights for the fourth consecutive day at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Telangana broke the patience of passengers. More than 197 flights have been canceled since the crisis started on December 2. This included 31 flights on 3 December, 68 flights on 4 December and 92 flights on 5 December. Technical glitches, crew shortage, absence of pilots and airport congestion brought the entire network to a standstill. DGCA has started investigation, but passengers are not being given complete information nor are there any other options.

Passengers stranded at airport hungry and thirsty for 24 hours
Thousands of passengers from many states and countries are stranded at the airport for more than 24 hours. A 70-year-old couple returning from Mumbai to Hyderabad was kept at the gate for 14 hours, neither did they get food nor a place to stay. A passenger said, ‘Our luggage had been checked-in, but due to cancellation of flights, we remained stuck here. Now waiting for the goods for 16 hours.

A group going to Pune had to take alternative routes by cab and train, while a businessman arriving in London complained that he was supposed to reach home on the morning of December 5, but was stuck at the airport for 24 hours, hungry and thirsty. Many passengers reached the airport directly from the hospital, but their plans were ruined due to flight cancellation.

Devotees were delayed in reaching the temple, did not get darshan
The biggest problem is being faced by the devotees who were going for darshan in many cities. More than 50 devotees, who arrived on time for the annual festival of Sabarimala temple, had come from several states in South India. A devotee said, ‘The time to visit the temple has passed. Due to the delay of Indigo Airlines, questions are being raised on faith. Devotees have been protesting at the gate for the last 12 hours, but there is no result.

Passengers and staff clash at the airport
Passengers waiting for several hours clashed with the airport staff, due to which security forces had to be deployed. In a video, passengers were raising slogans of ‘Give food, give hotel’. Indigo issued a statement citing glitches in operations, but did not give any specific time. RGIA tweeted on X and advised to contact the airlines, but the ground staff has no response.

155 flights canceled at Shamshabad airport
This is the situation not only at Hyderabad Airport but also at Shamshabad Airport. 155 flights have been canceled from Shamshabad airport in the last 4 days. According to airport sources, so far 84 departure and 71 arrival flights have been cancelled. Indigo Airlines has canceled the maximum number of flights. The airport administration has appealed for cooperation, but it is becoming difficult to control the angry passengers.

Anger among passengers had increased due to continuous cancellation and huge delays of Indigo flights across the country. Thousands of people remained stranded at airports and it had a major impact on the country’s aviation network. Amidst this pressure, DGCA admitted that the Phase-2 FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) rules have suddenly reduced crew availability. IndiGo failed to accurately estimate its actual requirement as per the new guidelines and this led to widespread operational disruptions across the country. After severe inconvenience to the passengers, DGCA decided that it is necessary to provide temporary relief to stabilize the national air network.

IndiGo told DGCA that after the implementation of the new FDTL rules, its planning and rostering was not as strong as it should have been. The new calculation of night shift duty, rest time and duty hours suddenly dropped the number of available crews. The airline admitted that it had miscalculated the need for pilots and cabin crew, leading to a spate of cancellations. Indigo assured that it will soon recruit additional crew so that all the rules can be fully followed in the future.

Relief given by DGCA

The relief given by DGCA is related to two special rules. The first is Para 3.11, which regulates night duty from 12 midnight to 5 am. The second is Para 6.1.4, which prohibits flights that enter night-duty hours. Once these two rules are temporarily relaxed, it will be easier for IndiGo to run night flights without excessive restrictions and crew utilization will also improve.

The exemption will be effective till 10 February 2026

This exemption will remain effective till 10 February 2026, but conditions of strict inspection and monitoring have also been added to it. DGCA has directed the airline to submit a progress report every 15 days, which will include crew utilization, steps to increase availability, improvements in operations and the new rostering model. It is also mandatory to submit a detailed roadmap to IndiGo within 30 days, which should have clear instructions on crew management, scheduling and regulation compliance. DGCA has also made it clear that all other rules of FDTL will have to be strictly followed and no relaxation will be given in any other provision. DGCA can withdraw the relief at any time if the situation worsens or there is lack of compliance. This temporary relief from DGCA can give some balance to the airline industry for the time being and passengers are also expected to get relief from flight cancellations in the coming days.

Now what does the new provision say?
The new order has given a lot of flexibility to the airlines. If a pilot or cabin crew is given leave, it will be considered equivalent to weekly rest. This will allow airlines to prepare rosters without interruption and flight schedules will remain more stable.

How will passengers get the benefit?
The new change will directly provide relief to the passengers. The incidence of excessive delays and canceled flights will reduce. Airlines will be able to bring their daily operations back to normal speed, making the travel experience comfortable again.

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IndiGo: There was a tension between India and Pakistan for the last few days. Phillahadas have agreed to both countries ceasefire. In view of this, India’s airline company IndiGo has made a big announcement for its trapped passengers. Currently, passengers who were about to take their flights from closed airports, now have the option to travel from any other nearby airport and that too without any extra charge.

IndiGo flights operating from 10 airports

In view of the tension between India and Pakistan, 32 airports of North West and Central India were announced to be closed. 10 of these- Indigo flights from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Kishangarh and Rajkot fly.

Now people’s eye on the opening of airports

These 32 airports were scheduled to be closed till 5.29 am on 15 May, but after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan on Saturday, it is yet to be seen when these airports will be opened again. Now IndiGo is planning to operate additional flights to reduce the congestion of its stranded passengers.

Company came forward to help passengers

The company has said in a statement, due to security reasons, IndiGo is committed to support its customers in this hour until the airports reopened again. We understand the uncertainty caused by this situation and want to assure you that our team is present to help you. Changes and cancellation charges are being waived for booking done during this period.

IndiGo further said, if customers were about to take flights from affected airports, they can now choose to travel from any other nearest airport without any additional fee. This flexibility is available for eligible booking throughout our network. We are also planning to operate Relief flights to help the trapped passengers. On confirmation, you will be given an update.

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