IndiGo Cancels One Hundred and Seventy-Five Flights on Third Consecutive Day as New Pilot Rest Rules Take Effect

Operational Delays Continue Across Major Airports

IndiGo cancelled at least 175 flights on Thursday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru. This marked the third consecutive day of disruption for the airline.

The cancellations followed changes in government regulations that increased pilot rest periods and placed restrictions on night flying. The rules, announced last year, came into effect on November 1, 2025.

According to reports, at least 150 flights were cancelled on Wednesday. Airport sources noted that 73 flights were cancelled in Bengaluru, around 30 in Delhi, and 68 in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Shares of IndiGo, which holds 60 per cent of the market, fell 3.4 per cent on Thursday and are down 6 per cent for the week. Other airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa Air, have not been affected.

The Federation of Indian Pilots stated that IndiGo was unable to adjust rosters in time to comply with the new rules. The organisation said the airline did not plan its schedule adequately “due to new rules that increased pilot rest periods and introduced some restrictions on night flying”. The airline has acknowledged that stricter flight duty time limits have been a factor in the cancellations. Passengers reported long delays and limited facilities at several airports.

In a statement, IndiGo said, “The last two days have seen widespread disruption across IndiGo’s network and operations. We extend a heartfelt apology to all our customers and industry stakeholders who have been affected by these events. IndiGo teams are working diligently, with the support of MOCA, DGCA, BCAS, AAI, and airport operators, to reduce the cascading impact of these delays and restore normalcy. We continue to keep our customers apprised of any changes to their scheduled flights and advise them to check the latest status at https://www.goindigo.in/check-flight-status.html before heading to the airport. IndiGo deeply regrets the inconvenience caused and remains focused on streamlining its operations at the earliest.”

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