In one of the strongest regulatory actions taken against an Indian airline in recent years, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday ordered IndiGo to slash its flight schedule by 5% following days of severe operational disruptions that left thousands of passengers stranded across the country.
The directive comes after IndiGo — India’s largest airline with nearly 60% domestic market share — witnessed a breakdown in its network since December 1, 2025, triggering widespread cancellations, delays, and passenger complaints.
Regulator Steps In After Week of Chaos
The DGCA’s intervention follows a week where airports across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata saw long queues, stranded travellers, and flight boards flashing repeated cancellations.
Last week alone, IndiGo’s operational meltdown escalated to a point where nearly 500 flights were cancelled in a single day.
A day earlier, Union Civil Aviation Minister had signalled that the government would act decisively to stabilise IndiGo’s operations — leading directly to today’s order.
IndiGo Failed to Meet Approved Winter Schedule
Documents reviewed by the DGCA reveal a growing mismatch between IndiGo’s approved Winter 2025–26 schedule and its actual operational capability:
Approved aircraft per month: 403
Operated in October: 339
Operated in November: 344
Scheduled flights in November: 64,346
Flights operated: 59,448
Flights cancelled: 951
The airline had committed to increasing operations by 6.05% over Summer 2025 and 9.66% over Winter 2024, but DGCA officials say the airline simply “did not have the capacity to operate the schedule it aggressively filed.”
What the 5% Cut Means
The DGCA has now instructed IndiGo to:
●Reduce flights by 5% across all major sectors
●Implement deeper cuts on high-frequency metro routes
●Avoid operating single-flight sectors where a cancellation could isolate passengers
IndiGo must submit a revised sector-wise operational plan by 5 pm Wednesday, outlining its new network strength, crew availability, aircraft utilisation, and contingency planning.
‘Slot Hoarding’ Controversy Adds Pressure
The crackdown also coincides with allegations by the Association of Indian Pilots (ALPA) that IndiGo has been “slot hoarding” — blocking more airport slots than it can operate to restrict competition.
DGCA officials are reportedly reviewing whether such practices contributed to IndiGo’s inability to stick to its approved schedule.
IndiGo has denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and “misinformed”.
Regulator Aims to Prevent Future Meltdowns
The DGCA stated that the objective of the 5% reduction is to:
●Restore IndiGo’s on-time performance
●Reduce passenger inconvenience
●Stabilise India’s domestic air network
●Prevent a repeat of the mass cancellations seen this week
Officials have warned that further restrictions may follow if disruptions continue.
With IndiGo operating over 2,200 flights a day, even a 5% reduction is expected to temporarily ease pressure on airports and reduce cascading delays across the system.
