India's IndiGo airline faces heat after cancelling more than 200 flights

IndiGo faced another difficult day on Wednesday as the airline cancelled more than 200 flights and delayed many others across airports nationwide. It marked the second straight day of major disruption for the carrier, which operates over 2,200 flights daily.

Fresh data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation showed IndiGo posting only 35% on-time performance on Tuesday (December 2) — the poorest among major airlines assessed. The low score signalled the scale of the strain on operations, which continued well into Wednesday.

By mid-afternoon, airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad had collectively reported close to 200 cancellations, creating widespread inconvenience for domestic travellers.

Crew shortage behind the turbulence

Media reports pointed to a severe shortage of cockpit and cabin crew, with many linking it to a major recruitment drive by a Gulf-based international airline in Delhi and Mumbai this week. Airline insiders said several IndiGo crew members had been attending the recruitment roadshows over the past two days.

Despite this, IndiGo said the meltdown was caused by “multiple factors” rather than a single issue.

Airports worst affected

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport saw the highest impact, with 67 flights cancelled. Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport recorded 13 cancellations, while over 70 flights were grounded across Mumbai and Bengaluru by Wednesday evening. Cancellations were also reported on routes to Kolkata and Srinagar.

IndiGo issues apology

In a statement, the airline acknowledged the scale of the disruption.

“We sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused,” it said.

The carrier listed several operational challenges, including minor tech glitches, winter-related schedule changes, bad weather, increased air traffic congestion and updates to crew rostering rules. According to IndiGo, the combined effect of these issues hit operations in a way that “was not feasible to anticipate”.

Steps taken to stabilise operations

To regain control, IndiGo said it had made calibrated adjustments to schedules for the next 48 hours. The airline expects these measures to help normalise operations and gradually improve punctuality.

Affected passengers are being offered alternate travel options or refunds. IndiGo has urged travellers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

The airline said its teams are working “around the clock” to restore stability and ease passenger discomfort as quickly as possible.