India’s aviation regulator has ordered IndiGo to scale back its flight operations after widespread cancellations disrupted travel during the early winter season, raising fresh questions about the airline’s crew planning.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it had instructed IndiGo to cut its planned flights by 5 percent and submit a revised schedule by Wednesday, following the cancellation of at least 2,000 flights last week. The regulator said the disruptions were linked to shortcomings in pilot roster planning, according to a notice disclosed on Tuesday.
The directive marks a rare public intervention by the DGCA against India’s largest airline by market share, at a time when passenger demand traditionally rises and schedules tighten across the sector.
Earlier, the regulator had cleared 15,014 IndiGo departures per week for the winter timetable. Yet data showed the airline canceled 951 flights in November alone, out of 64,346 services approved for the full month. The scale of the disruptions left thousands of passengers stranded or scrambling to rebook, industry officials said.
IndiGo has come under sharp scrutiny since new pilot rest and duty rules took effect on November 1. The revised standards lengthened mandatory rest periods and capped certain duty hours, forcing airlines to rethink crew planning. Regulators and pilot groups said IndiGo had not adjusted its rosters adequately in advance, leaving aircraft grounded at short notice.
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The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the order or on how quickly it could normalize operations.
IndiGo shares edged down 0.22 percent on Tuesday to 4,912 rupees, extending a slide that has erased about 17 percent of the stock’s value since December 1. Analysts said investor concern has grown over whether operational issues could persist into the peak holiday travel period.
In recent weeks, the DGCA has emphasized that safety and crew welfare take precedence over aggressive schedule expansion, particularly as India’s aviation market continues to grow at a rapid clip. Officials said further regulatory action remains possible if compliance issues continue.
