Cancellations to drop, normalcy target by December 15: Indigo CEO
What's the story
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has confirmed that the airline is facing major operational disruptions, with over 1,000 flights canceled on Friday. He called it the "worst day" of operational disruption for India's largest airline. The crisis is expected to continue into Saturday, but with fewer cancellations. Elbers assured operations will likely stabilize by December 15. "Full normalization is expected between December 10 and 15, though IndiGo cautions that recovery will take time due to the scale of operations," he said.
System issues
IndiGo's operational disruptions caused by system reboot
Elbers attributed the widespread disruption to a reboot of IndiGo's entire operational system. He advised travelers not to go to airports for canceled flights, as it would only add to their inconvenience. "I want to share with you that we have experienced severe operational disruptions for the past few days. Since then, the crisis continues to aggravate, with today...being the most severely impacted day with...more than half of our...daily flights," Elbers said in a video message.
Operational issues
IndiGo's operational challenges and government response
Elbers had earlier admitted that the airline failed to meet its commitments. He cited a combination of operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, heightened congestion in the aviation ecosystem, and new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. He said these "compounded negatively to create a cascading impact" on operations. The unprecedented disruption has left passengers frustrated and prompted inquiries from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Twitter Post
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers's video message
#WATCH | On flight services disruption, IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers says, "It will take some time to return to a full normal situation, which we do anticipate between 10-15 December..."
— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2025
"Dec 5 was the most severely impacted day with the number of cancellations well over 1000. I… pic.twitter.com/J45QLxjV2y
Inquiry ordered
Government orders inquiry into IndiGo's flight disruptions
The central government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the large-scale disruption of IndiGo flights. The Civil Aviation Minister directed IndiGo to take operational measures to restore normal services at the earliest. The DGCA's FDTL orders have been placed in abeyance with immediate effect, keeping passenger interests in mind without compromising on air safety.