IndiGo disruption continues: Chennai airport shares list of canceled flights
What's the story
India's largest airline, IndiGo, is facing a major operational crisis with widespread flight cancellations and delays. The disruption has affected thousands of passengers across the country and drawn regulatory scrutiny. Chennai airport has released a list of flights canceled on December 5 due to the ongoing disruption in IndiGo services. All affected flights were exclusively IndiGo ones, as per a post on X by the airport authorities.
Regulatory changes
New pilot rest and duty hour rules
The operational crisis stems from the implementation of new pilot rest and duty hour rules, known as Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). The regulations, which came into effect on November 1, seek to improve fatigue management and safety by reducing the number of permitted night landings and increasing mandatory rest periods for pilots. Despite having two years to prepare for these changes, IndiGo reportedly failed to adjust its crew planning accordingly.
Crew challenges
Staffing shortfall and operational disruptions
IndiGo's decision to maintain a hiring freeze and not expedite pilot recruitment or training has been criticized by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP). The staffing shortfall has left IndiGo without enough legally available crew for many flights, resulting in only about 30% of scheduled departures leaving on time on some days. Between late November and early December, hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed in just three to four days due to these operational challenges.
Regulatory inquiry
DGCA investigates IndiGo's operational disruption
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the scale and causes of IndiGo's operational disruption. The regulator has asked IndiGo to submit a detailed mitigation plan explaining what went wrong and how it plans to avoid future cancellations. In an internal memo, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers acknowledged the disruption and said the airline's immediate goal was to normalize operations and restore punctuality.
Customer compensation
IndiGo offers refunds and travel credits
To mitigate the impact of the operational disruption, IndiGo is offering full refunds or alternate flights to passengers whose flights were canceled. The airline has advised affected travelers to use their PNR or transaction ID to claim compensation or travel credits. This move comes as part of IndiGo's efforts to address the concerns of its customers amid this unprecedented operational crisis.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the canceled flights
#UPDATE | Kindly take note of the list of flight cancellations at Chennai International Airport on 05.12.2025.
— Chennai (MAA) Airport (@aaichnairport) December 5, 2025
Passengers are requested to check with their respective airlines for further updates.#ChennaiAirport #AAIAirport #AAI pic.twitter.com/W2j110RkV4