IndiGo Flight Cancellations: Government Plans 5% Slot Cut as Airlines Prepare to Absorb 110 Daily Flights

India’s aviation ministry is preparing to reduce IndiGo’s domestic schedule by around 5%, equivalent to nearly 110 daily flights, as the airline continues to recover from a nationwide disruption that grounded more than 2,000 flights this month.

Officials said the redistributed slots will be allocated to other Indian carriers with available capacity, a move aimed at easing congestion and limiting further travel disruptions during the peak travel period.

Crisis Triggered by New Duty Rules

The disruption began after the rollout of Phase II of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) on November 1. The rules, which cap weekly flying hours and require longer pilot rest periods, exposed staffing shortages at IndiGo.

By December 5, the airline cancelled nearly half of its operations in a single day as part of what it called a “network reboot,” leaving thousands of passengers stranded at major airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Over the past week, IndiGo’s cancellations have crossed 2,000 flights, with additional delays linked to winter fog, airport congestion, ATC constraints, and technical issues on some aircraft types.

Slot Redistribution Under Review

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is considering proportional cuts based on operational shortfalls, according to officials familiar with the matter. Airlines such as Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air are among the likely recipients of the redistributed slots due to their ability to scale up capacity quickly.

A four-member committee is also examining the sequence of events that led to the disruptions and may recommend penalties or further reductions if service reliability does not improve.

Airlines Respond With Fare Caps and Additional Capacity

The Air India Group, Air India and Air India Express, has increased domestic capacity and introduced temporary fare caps on select non-stop routes to stabilise ticket prices during the surge in demand.

The government earlier announced its own advisory on airfare limits to prevent sudden spikes during the crisis, prompting major carriers to adjust revenue management systems.

IndiGo Reports Partial Recovery

Despite continued scrutiny, IndiGo says its operations are improving. On December 8, the airline reported operating more than 1,800 flights with 90% on-time performance, adding that all cancellations had been pre-notified to passengers.

However, passenger complaints and political criticism continue to mount, with some lawmakers alleging poor planning and calling for stronger regulatory action.