In the past few days, the aviation industry in India has faced a sudden disruption, with many passengers asking one common question: Why are so many IndiGo flights cancelled? This unexpected situation created confusion at airports, long waiting lines, delays, and frustration among travelers. In this blog by The Alert Media, we explain the main reasons behind the issue in simple and professional language.

1. New Crew Rest Rules Created Immediate Shortage

The biggest reason behind the widespread IndiGo flights cancelled situation is the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. These new regulations require pilots and cabin crew to take longer rest breaks, limit night duties, and reduce the total number of hours they can work in a day.

Because of these sudden changes, many pilots and crew became unavailable for duty. As a result, the airline did not have enough staff to operate all scheduled flights. This caused a chain reaction leading to multiple IndiGo flights cancelled across major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

2. Tight Scheduling and Low Backup Crew

IndiGo operates more than 2,000 flights per day. However, the airline reportedly kept a very small buffer of extra crew members. When the new rules came into effect, this shortage became more visible.

With a limited backup team, even a small delay or crew unavailability caused many IndiGo flights cancelled instantly. Other airlines were better prepared, but IndiGo’s tight scheduling made the situation worse.

3. Winter Congestion and Weather Delays

Another contributing factor is the winter season. Fog and poor visibility at airports like Delhi often result in delays and cancellations. This year, the combination of new crew rules plus winter congestion created the perfect storm. When multiple flights got delayed due to bad weather, it affected the duty time limits of the crew. Once their shift exceeded the allowed limit, the flights could not take off.

This added to the number of IndiGo flights cancelled nationwide.

4. Technical and Operational Challenges

Airports also reported some technical and operational challenges such as system glitches, traffic congestion on runways, and slow turnaround times. These issues may seem small individually, but together they created a domino effect.

Whenever one flight was delayed, it pushed the crew’s duty time further, increasing the number of IndiGo flights cancelled across the network.

5. High Volume of Night Flights Affected Most

IndiGo runs many night flights compared to other airlines. The new FDTL rules particularly impacted night operations. Limiting the number of night landings and tightening night duty hours meant many planned flights became non-operational.

This made the situation worse and led to several IndiGo flights cancelled during peak travel times.

6. Domino Effect Across the Entire Network

One important thing to understand is that IndiGo runs a highly connected network. If one flight gets delayed or cancelled, it affects the next flight using the same aircraft or crew.

This network effect turned a minor issue into a major crisis, ultimately resulting in hundreds of IndiGo flights cancelled over just a few days.

7. Impact on Passengers Across India

Passengers were heavily impacted by the situation. Hundreds of people were stuck at airports due to sudden cancellations. Many travelers had to rebook on other airlines or even choose trains due to the large number of IndiGo flights cancelled.

Long queues, shortage of seats on alternate flights, and rising ticket prices added to the inconvenience.

8. What Steps Are Being Taken Now?

To control the situation, India’s aviation regulator has given temporary relaxation on some rules to help IndiGo manage crew shortages. IndiGo has also started rearranging schedules, hiring more crew, and planning better buffers to avoid further IndiGo flights cancelled scenarios.

Airports are increasing staff support, and airlines are trying to clear backlogs. In the coming days, the situation is expected to become more stable.

Why Were IndiGo Flights Cancelled ?

In summary, the main reason behind so many IndiGo flights cancelled is the sudden enforcement of new pilot rest rules combined with insufficient backup crew, winter weather issues, and operational challenges. All these factors together disrupted the schedule of India’s largest airline.

For travellers, it’s important to check flight status regularly, arrive early at the airport, and keep alternate options ready. The Alert Media will continue to bring you the latest updates on aviation, travel, and breaking news.