IndiGo has cancelled more than 600 flights since Tuesday as widespread operational disruptions continued to cause chaos across major airports in the country, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and prompting regulatory scrutiny.
Long queues were witnessed at airline counters on Friday, with passengers reporting delays and extensive cancellations. 
At Delhi&rsquo;s Indira Gandhi International Airport alone, 135 IndiGo departures and 90 arrivals were cancelled, according to airport officials. 
More than 100 flights were cancelled at Bengaluru airport and 92 at Hyderabad.
The disruption intensified on Thursday, when over 400 flights were cancelled. 
Airport officials said approximately 150 cancellations occurred in Delhi, 118 in Mumbai, 99 in Bengaluru and 79 in Hyderabad. 
This followed at least 150 cancellations on Wednesday and multiple disruptions on Tuesday.
The airline acknowledged that &ldquo;misjudgment and planning gaps&rdquo; had contributed to the massive operational failure. 
In a statement issued Thursday, IndiGo said, &ldquo;IndiGo teams are working diligently and making all efforts with the support of MOCA, DGCA, BCAS, AAI and airport operators to reduce the cascading impact of these delays and restore normalcy.&rdquo;
On Friday, cancellations increased further, with more than 200 IndiGo flights grounded at Delhi airport. 
Bengaluru airport recorded 52 cancelled arrivals and 50 departures, while Hyderabad saw 92 cancellations.
IndiGo&rsquo;s on-time performance dropped sharply amid the chaos, falling to 19.7% on Wednesday from 35% the previous day.
Sources indicated that the airline cancelled more than 550 domestic and international flights on Thursday, with delays reported at multiple airports.
As the situation escalated, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu reviewed the disruptions with airline and ministry officials. 
IndiGo has requested time until February 10 to fully stabilise its operations.
Inspections conducted by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) teams at Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport found the airline had &ldquo;inadequate&rdquo; passenger-handling staff to manage the surge in affected flyers.
IndiGo has also sought temporary relief from night-time pilot duty-hour regulations, informing authorities that normal operations would only be restored by February 10, 2026. 
The airline additionally warned that further cancellations would occur over the next two to three days as part of schedule stabilisation efforts, with flight reductions beginning December 8. 
The DGCA has not stated whether it will approve the request.
According to the aviation regulator, &ldquo;The disruptions have arisen primarily from misjudgment and planning gaps in implementing Phase 2 of the (Flight Duty Time Limitations), with the airline accepting that the actual crew requirement exceeded their anticipation.&rdquo;

Crowded airport terminal with stranded IndiGo passengers

More than 600 flights scrapped in three days as IndiGo battles severe operational lapses

IndiGo Crisis Deepens As 600 Flights Axed

More than 600 flights scrapped in three days as IndiGo battles severe operational lapses

December 5, 2025 | 10:07 IST